yndi halda – ‘A Sun-Coloured Shaker’
A little over two years ago, I was fortunate enough to see yndi halda at The Boileroom in Guildford, Surrey. Along with a group of close friends, we let go for a night and allowed ourselves to become fully immersed in a live performance that touched the entire audience. I’d known of yndi halda since my earliest explorations into post-rock. A year or so later, the band hailing from Canterbury, UK, announced a new EP titled ‘A Sun-Coloured Shaker’, which would go on to be released on Athens-based label, Sound in Silence Records, towards the end of February 2018 in a stunning limited edition run of hand-crafted CDrs.
Outside of my usual reviewing habits, but not at all far from my day-to-day listening, yindi halda present a beautiful documentation of their continuously progressing song-writing skills, featuring laid back drums, delicate string arrangements, and soothing vocals that guide me right back to that long-awaited evening in Spring of 2016. ‘A Sun-Coloured Shaker’ appears as a single, long-form track just shy of twelve minutes in duration; within it, the mellow sound of the six-piece led by James Vella is a sound of mutual musical exchange and understanding. Uplifting choruses, subtle guitar hooks, and intricate interactions between the members make for an enjoyable listening experience.
The mournful, cinematic elements associated with yndi halda are not lost, as the violin work of Daniel Neil is brought to the forefront, signalling a gradual reduction leaving a rhythmic and well-harmonised vocal section. From there, a steady and lengthy instrumental ‘outro’ slowly brings the EP to rest.
yndi halda – ‘A Sun-Coloured Shaker’ is available now in a limited edition run of hand-crafted CDrs and as a digital download via the Sound in Silence Records Bandcamp page.
