July Skies
The English Cold

THE REVIEW

The reincarnation of The Durutti Column, Vini Reilly seems to have returned, perhaps even better than before. Indeed, the first group that comes to mind when listening to these July Skies is precisely them, but it's an impression that fades as the tracks continue to flow, and I use this verb deliberately, because it's more about flow than listening. Sweet guitar chords that seem to float in anticipation of the next, voice with a dropper, filler electronics. Cocteau Twins lurking around the corner but without Elizabeth Fraser's trills.

July Skies is a single person, Antony Harding, English, passionate about landscapes and skies, as stated in his biography, nostalgic, author of two albums and an EP. This work celebrates rural areas of England, and in reality, despite the presence of electronic atmospheres, it is precisely there that it seems to be. The title track is sung with a pained voice, and played like all the others, with very long guitar chords supported by a harmonica, but I assure you that you won't see cowboys popping up, only "cold English".

"The mighty 8th" could be a ghost track from The Return of The Durutti Column given how similar the guitar sound is to Vini's, while "Countryside Of 1939" is an emotional, beautiful piece that slowly lifts you up to transport you to the skies described in the subsequent tracks, all of which reference directly or indirectly even in the title with: "East Anglian Skies", "Lost Airmen", "Cloudless Climes and Starry Skies".

An ethereal, sweet album that could, for certain sounds, belong to the ECM catalog, well-arranged and with great atmosphere. Antony's voice, who dedicates this work to all the aviators (English?) who died in the Second World War, at times also reminded me of Greg Lake.