Hydroplane - Hydroplane - New LP

Hydroplane reinstate their formidable 1997 debut of sublime guitar atmospherics, fragile lyricism and droning incidentals with an overdue vinyl reissue.

An offshoot of the now-féted The Cat’s Miaow, the trio formed after drummer Cameron Smith decamped to London, charting new territory with tape loops, manipulated samples and a borrowed Jupiter 4 in the wake of Entroducing. Adopting a handle that Dean Wareham once considered calling Luna, Hydroplane intended to only ever release Excerpts From Forthcoming LP, a single-sided 7” sonic collage, before imploding in mystery. Their label however insisted they deliver their taunted album. From the comfort of a Brunswick flat, they continued to record soaring melodies and restrained song structures to 4-track, sculpting dramatic Radiophonic Workshop cues weighted in reverb and near-perfect dream pop lead by Kerrie Bolton’s empyrean vocals.

Bored of industry expectation and largely ignored by local audiences, the reluctant performers followed the way of The Cannanes and formed meaningful overseas alliances by mail and phone, securing releases on Michigan outpost Drive Inn and Broadcast launching pad Wurlitzer Jukebox. Championed by John Peel with twenty spins on his converted Radio One slot and even polling in Festive Fifty of 1997, the humble three-piece still walked to their neighbourhood shops undetected.

The band's playing oozes conviction and class, Lifeson's guitar work more inventive and powerful than ever, but it's the talismanic Maiah Wynne - now hailing from San Francisco - who truly defnes Envy of None's sound. With her pensive, deft lyricism and impassioned vocal performance, Wynne pushes Stygian Waves into fresh, mesmerizing territory. The 11 songs on the album mark a signifcant progression in the band's sound, every song meticulously lasered down to its most essential and captivating elements. With the band's very own Alf Annibalini on mixing duties, the songs beneft from an intrinsic understanding of their evolution, his involvement in the writing process ensuring the mix truly captures the essence of their vision. Mastering by Harry Hess at HBomb Mastering (Barenaked Ladies, Billy Talent, Big Wreck) completes the album's fawless sound quality. With Stygian Waves, Envy of None overcomes any challenges typically associated with the notoriously tricky second album. Sharper, tighter and more memorable than anything they've done before, Stygian Waves is the work of a band at the top of their game - and still only just getting started.