And So I Watch You From Afar – Jettison | Album Review

Initially, it may be hard to understand where this record takes it’s namesake from. But after a few listens, the meaning of Jettison is completely transparent.

For 16 years now, And So I Watch You From Afar have defied the conventions of their genre, something quite remarkable given how the genre of post-rock has always been a medium for nonconformity and experimentalism in the first place. As any fan of the band will tell you with breathless enthusiasm, every record within the band’s discography is completely unique despite their overarching theme of euphoric positivity. Their self-titled debut and consequent Gangs is almost revolutionary in mood, All Hail Bright Futures and Heirs carries a sense of giddy adolescent eclecticism and 2017’s The Endless Shimmering feels sleek and grandiose. Yet despite all of this, the progression of the band’s sound throughout these records has felt natural and something akin to an evolutionary process. Jettison, the band’s latest offering, is however none of that.

Originally envisioned by guitarist Rory Friers in 2018, the project is a collaborative piece from the band, the Belfast Arco String Quartet and visual artist Sam Wiehl. Instead of being the next organic step, Jettison is a clear and sudden departure from their normal approach – something that’s at first alarming, but yet simultaneously exciting and daringly ambitious. Even to call it a standard album feels far too restrictive, especially when considering it was designed to be a multimedia experience performed live alongside a short film of Wiehl’s design. But even as a record Jettison is still a phenomenal exploration of the human condition, one that still enjoy’s And So I Watch You From Afar’s underlying themes of positivity and joy, albeit in a more nuanced way.

Despite being divided in nine tracks, Jettison is intended to be experienced as a single continuously flowing piece, one best enjoyed without distraction or hinderance. ‘Dive’ slowly yet assuringly leads you into this collaborative piece of work. The spoken word courtesy of Emma Ruth Rundle guides your hand alongside twinkling guitars and tentative stings that unfurl like a slow unfolding of wings as the track enters it’s second movement. With keys, stings and further orchestral textures intertwining in harmony, it does initially feel like the work of the string quartet is the one leading the record here, but as the record progresses, the work of the band creep into play. ‘Lung’ enjoys motifs reminiscent of Heirs and the related Successors EP in a way that’s not withheld but far from bashful. In fact, whilst the notion of upwards of ten musicians featuring simultaneously could have led to this being a disorganised and overwhelmingly disjointed affair, it’s anything but. Each element and texture of this record intertwines with elegant harmony, allowing the intricacies present to shine.

As the album slips into ‘In Air’ and the introspectively brooding ‘Hold’, a track slightly reminiscent of Explosions In The Sky and We Lost The Sea, a real sense of kindred chemistry becomes apparent. Every creative featuring on this project feels like they’re tapped into a shared wavelength, working seamlessly together in order the fully animate the human emotions of longing and love that not only just serve as the conceptual narrative of the record, but bind it together integrally. Even when the record is at it’s loudest and forefront, such in the case of ‘Submerge’, this sense of harmony is tangible. The complimenting orchestral swoons pacify any notes of aggression that knot the velveteen texture of this record and ensure it’s pacifying and effortlessly enthralling at all times.

This also ties directly in the cinematic feel of album. Even without the accompanying visuals designed alongside the album, Jettison has the stirring grandeur of a film score, comparable to that of fellow cinematic post-rockers Nordic Giants. However, instead of pulling you forcefully into a narrative of their own ardent design, it implores you to manifest your own imagery. It very much is the soundtrack to the ideal comfort film of your own mental design, one that will be undoubtedly influenced by the aforementioned motifs of love and companionship that serves as the crux of this project.

Even with this being so far removed from the work we have come to expect from And So I Watch You From Afar, it undoubtedly is still a project of their vision. The feelings of tangible warmth, comfort and positivity that emit from this record are comparable to their previous outings, but in a way made more palpable by the workings of their collaboratives. Granted, those wanting something more direct and punchy will have to look elsewhere. Such as the five records that came before this one. However, if you’re after a form of escapism that’s lush and stirring, this record needs to be experienced. It’s a meditative escape from the cruel mundaneness of modern life, and in all, a wondrously spiritual jettison from the hardships that ground us.