Album Review: Solkyri - Are You My Brother?

Sydney three-piece Solkyri have been part of the burgeoning instrumental rock “scene” that's been bubbling out of the NSW capital in recent years, buoyed by the support of the Bird's Robe collective, who have put out the band's debut Are You My Brother? While not having the name that likeminded acts Sleepmakeswaves and Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving have carved out, the nine tracks here serve to introduce a band with more originality, energy and potential to break out of post-rock tropes than most of their contemporaries.

His Ghost Will Invade Puerto Rico kicks things off, and while upholding the medium's propensity for elongated, obtuse lyrics, the track (the longest at almost 14 minutes) is an ebullient triumph, effectively combining the shining emotional heft of Explosions In The Sky with stripped-back efficiencies to craft a blueprint for Solkyri's school of musical thought. It doesn't delve into the tried and true quiet/loud dynamic in its most obvious sense, instead opting for clarity, a wider spectrum of sound (incorporating brass and strings throughout) and a growing sense of euphoria that creeps up on you – a sunrise for the soul. It's a beautifully orchestrated opener, one that admittedly the rest of the album struggles to catch up to, yet the scene is set. Hunter is more urgent, a squalling double helix of barely controlled aggression; Glory remains a subliminal murmur, a whisper to the synapses; Home features plaintive vocals from Hannah Cameron. Even when a track like With Strawberries Like Dead Men builds to the expected explosion, it feels warranted.

Are You My Brother? is a great entry into the undermanned echelons of great Australian instrumental rock albums.