Andrew Ostler – ‘The Blind Sublime‘ (Limited edition blue vinyl)

The first side of the LP presents three compositions of a similar feel - the drones are, for the most part, relatively gentle, while chant-like choral arrangements drift and weave around and above them. ‘Affirmation’ is quietly confident, with a surge of intensity around the midpoint; ‘Confession’ is perhaps more tentative, the shifting canon of the voices threatened by a distant storm of distorted synth shredding; ‘Adoration’ restores the straightforward choral beauty, building to an unashamed cadence.

‘Meditation’, which occupies the whole of the second side of the LP, is a quite different affair. Here the drones are more intense slabs, the choir is more demonstrative in its emotion, and the ultimate climax the more devastating for it. The journey is longer, but the rewards are greater for the committed.

The album is presented on transparent blue 180g vinyl, with another stunning sleeve by designer Carl Glover.