Landing: Tendrils

Life will always present certain anomalies that boggle the mind, and in the case of music, Landing is perhaps the biggest one. In the same context of The Chameleons not spending the ’80s in front of stadium-sized crowds, Landing’s music should also be reaching vaster climes than it has. With soul and a depth that draws you even closer to their music, there’s an enigmatic humility that feels like it exists for your ears only.

Perhaps it’s this humility that has made husband and wife Adrienne and Aaron Snow, Dick Baldwin and Daron Gardner, one of the most criminally underrated acts on the planet. In the realm of dream-pop in particular, no other band has possessed such emotional force like the Connecticut four-piece, and over a reign which has consisted of countless EPs, beguiling subscription series collections and 11 full-length releases, one could happily spend a year with Landing and still not be fully across their oeuvre.

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Landing’s latest and twelfth long-player, Tendrils, is yet another of the cosmic fairy dust variety. Each song, like a unique ice sculpture: meticulously crafted with its own set of characteristics. However, there is a nexus between these seven songs, underlining Landing’s greatest quality – their songs, possessing a delicacy that inspires their audience to feel 10 feet tall. Landing understands to get to these points of euphoria that dark moments need to be met, and that’s where their allure truly lies.

There’s no better example than Still Sleeping Above. A rumbling bass chug likened to a distant clap of thunder, the ensuing shower of synths pours from the sky, as Adrienne’s sweet vocal lulls you into Landing’s world. On Footprints, Landing mirrors the purity of their kindred spirits and once collaborations Windy & Carl. As acoustic brushes ferment underneath the mix, the result is a seasonal journey where snow, sun and the environment is encountered, giving you a panoramic view within said world.

Elsewhere, Tendrils illuminates the strength of all worthy title tracks. Landing’s embodiment of melody and shimmering interplay, lighting up the darkest corners of your mind and leaving indelible marks on it. Adrienne’s performance, the kind that makes your heart skip a beat in one of the best representations of dream-pop you’ll hear this decade.

With a line like, “Kiss the sun,” that ensuing light pours into Wrong Song. As a searching bass line and melodic guitars fill the ears, it’s this sun dappled quality that grows stronger with each listen. It’s this intensity that leads to Gravitational X. A song that combines motorik echoes with soft flange, Landing surge through the corridors that lead to the world of cinema; the big screen, another facet that Landing’s music could be considered a perfect fit, however – like they always do –  this band evades, doing their best work in the shadows. Which is where Whirligig emerges – a stirring duet between Adrienne and Aaron with drones and melodies that frame Landing’s slow-motion majesty.

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Closing with the acoustic-led post-rock reverie of Ad, Adrienne’s performance is like a voice from another life – that moment through song where light swallows darkness. It’s Landing at their tender best, revealing the gorgeous contrast that is prominent throughout their body of work. Their ability to change gears from tenderness through to their more abrasive moments but also letting the two coexist at times.

Pulling from the worlds of space-rock, shoegaze and slowcore, Landing are the reference point for the dreamscape. The vital voice in the pantheon of dream-pop that that splinters off and leads to so many other possibilities. Is Tendrils is the game-changing release this band wholeheartedly deserves? You would hope so, but in a world where right-wing politics continues to weaponise the arts, while Landing may be one of the best band you’ve never heard, history may just be their greatest ally at this point. Only time will tell of course, but Tendrils is further evidence that this band will not be forgotten long after we’re all in the dirt.

Tendrils is out via Structure vs Chaos Music. Purchase from Bandcamp.