Reviews / Album

A melting pot of cohesive orchestral and death metal elements.

Absent Light becomes a jagged, melodic, unpredictable prog-metalcore rollercoaster that’ll have listeners demanding another go around.

For die-hards only.

Hidden Horizons is breathtaking in its approach, composure and steely elegance.

Said telly song – What You Came Here For – is the shiny end of their oeuvre, but work through to My Ghost to find the band’s delicate face.

There can be great beauty in darkness and conflict; that’s what The Civil Wars prove most of all here.

The stories, like the drive out of the ‘Cross in Young Girls, or the wait as the tide ebbs On The Beach, are heat-hazed atmospheric things, but elsewhere it seems he feels the need to play up that nasal twang to almost parody.

Nonetheless, if you grew up getting down to your parents’ Jackson Browne or LRB records you’ll find a lot to love here – the ‘70s Laurel Canyon vibe given a modern sheen.