We are very pleased to premiere the opening track to Brisbane band We Set Sail‘s forthcoming third album ‘Ritual and Ceremony’. And it’s a blinder. ‘The Valium Phase’ is an explosive, passionate blast to the ears – stabbing guitars and pounding rhythms with vocals that bleed emotion and wrench the heart.
This track has a guileless urgency and power to it – the prowling feedback set back in the distance creating an ominous drone, the thundering guitars forming a wall of sound and the vocal layers pure and unadulterated. The vocals indeed are melodic and unhinged as the lines what if we run away? form a repetitive mantra.
And as impactful and at times as brutal the music is, there is a wry sense of humour in the lyrics that creates a great tension:
You’re so perfect but not in a medical way, the strength it takes to be with me
The fantastic video is a dedication to all of us music obsessives out there – with snippets of movies reflecting musical obsession. The impossible joy, the deepest of pain and the indelible memories, all captured in film – a catalogue of our lives inescapably intertwined with sound:
These are at times pognant vignettes with the passionate and driving soundtrack of ‘The Valium Phase’ adding a certain lustre.
In advance of the release of this track, the band creatively put out a call to their fans for their views on the best opening track of an album – you can listen to the Spotify link here for the results.
‘The Valium Phase’ follows the epic single ‘Well, that’s 13 years of my life I’ll never get back’ – a celebration of musical longevity, friendship, and a sense of achievement that is rarely experienced by bands who don’t make it this far. And showcasing the wry sense of humour this band has – they’ve been together 13 years, of course.
The track is another epic anthemic and elegant track imbued with intelligence and passion:
This is a very exciting band.
‘Ritual and Ceremony’ is out through those legends at False Peak Records – you can pre-order through the link below:
Feature Photograph: Luke Henery
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