From the beautiful Mount Snowdon, to the much enjoyed nightlife of Cardiff (although sadly not at the moment), Wales has plenty to offer. Well, here is something else to add to the list.
Lay Your Darkness Down On Me is the very aptly named, latest creation from the band RECLUSE (also aptly named, with us all being locked away in our homes at the moment). The guys from Pontypridd, South Wales are releasing this, their third album, on the 5th March.
Appealing to those that enjoy the genres; grunge, alt rock, desert and stoner, RECLUSE formed in 2008, bringing out their first album Crooked Heart in 2010, then the second The Quiet Hours in 2015.
Like me, you may consider thirteen years to be a long time together to only have three albums out. They have been working on Lay Your Darkness Down On Me for some time. It appears that this group like to focus more on playing live. Loving being on the road more than in the studio.
As we all know, playing live is not an option during these telling times, so if that’s the reason the band decided to switch their attention to finishing this album, then fans of RECLUSE can at least see it as a silver lining to the very big cloud of not being able to see them in the flesh.
Recorded in Kings Road Studios, Cardiff, this upcoming album has been well arranged, it certainly does not lack quality and is a very polished piece of work. With Britt Roberts on guitar and vocals, Tom Stephenson on bass and Alex Davies on drums, all of their years working together is evident here.
If you like to be in a place of darkness, then this album is for you. It brings those deeper emotions to the forefront, doing exactly what it says in the title.
I really like the tracks Werewolves, Scene and the longest on the album at a mammoth fifteen minutes and ten seconds, Olympus. I would not hesitate to put these on my playlist. The whole album in one sitting however, for me personally, was a bit much. But that is just an individual thing. If you like your “darkness” to be plentiful, then you will disagree. I totally understand that we are all different, and maybe my feelings are exaggerated a little because of the current climate, making me want things more upbeat at present.
The big positive is, when this lockdown stuff is all over, and this band get back on the road, there will be more tunes to enjoy, and that can only be a good thing. When that moment comes, make sure you are familiar with their latest album so these guys can hit the ground running.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Dave Jones
Lay Your Darkness Down On Me will be released 5th March 2020.
Find RECLUSE on Facebook.
