SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PHANTOM HANDSHAKES – SIRENS AT GOLDEN HOUR

PHANTOM HANDSHAKES
SIRENS AT GOLDEN HOUR
INDEPENDENT

Similar to how mermaids are able to lull sailors who travel vast and stormy seas, Sirens At Golden Hour casts a similar spell over its listeners. Unlike theories surrounding the fictitious creatures, however, Phantom Handshakes is definitely real, and the effect that their music has is quite hypnotizing. This is appropriate given their genre, yet the state their music puts one in is not at all dissimilar to a sense of escapism, allowing one to enter a dream-like state in which time slows and the music speaks on its own accord.

The vocals for the album are the key to guiding the listener. Even from the very start, songs such as “It Rains” portray a voice that is light and wispy in nature. It feels as though this voice is carried by a wind, gently flowing through to each consecutive song. As a result, the lyrics become almost obsolete, thus it would have been nice to find a balance between reliance on sound and on diction as well, not only on the former. The meditative humming tone is continuous throughout, enabling the album to feel whole, and yet each song maintains a certain uniqueness to them that allows each to stand on their own two feet. Phantom Handshake’s ability to create a collection of pieces that are easily enchanting (which is appropriate for songs on the album with names such as “Dusk Enchanted”) is quite impressive. Whether looking at the songs individually or collectively, their smooth blend of purring vocals and steady beats do not disappoint.

The experience of the album as a whole is one that feels fantastical, as if fairies are fluttering from leaf-to-leaf, or that everything shimmers upon the sun’s touch. Or even one that simply eases the mind. Regardless of the fantasy in which this album draws the listener to, the weight that Sirens At Golden Hour takes off of one’s shoulders is only a temporary relief. The final song, “Sirens (Tame)”, contains a quality that differentiates itself from the rest of the album. With an introduction that is upbeat and heavier, the weight of this song brings the listener back to solid ground. Even though the feeling of entering a daydream can be achieved by restarting the album, this final song steals the feeling of relief this collection has extended forward by taking the listener out of their music, almost deliberately.

Overall, Sirens At Golden Hour is a delightful series of songs. They stay true to their style, and in doing so they have created an album that does something for the listener rather than simply say something to them. Phantom Handshakes is calling out for you to put on your best pair of noise-cancelling headphones and to let their music take you away. Who knows where you’ll end up, but there’s only one way to find out.

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