Sail - Mannequin

Honestly - more stoner rock bands need to listen to pop and acknowledge those influences. It's worked wonders for Sail. This is a band who came out of the stoner scene but have not shied from bringing in electronic elements. They've always been on the more Torche inspired side of things, but this new record is something else entirely. It's a majestic beast of a remix EP that is going to floor listeners and leave them in awe of the grandiose unrealities that they have painted with this stunning little offering.

See, Mannequin is just a single and a remix and an extended cut, but they are done in such a way that it's hard not to be charmed. The main track itself is of course excellent, more of the Torche or Baroness inspired stoner goodness that made the band a name in the first place. However its the synthwave remix that really caught my ear. The band uses this to dramatically broaden their horizons and open up exotic new sound worlds. Mannequin fascinates because of its ability to keep driving towards new futures and reminding us that stoner rock doesn't need to work itself in a corner. Especially not when you are as talented as the dudes in Sail.

This is a thrilling offering, a record that leaves you impressed with what Sail have done and eager to hear more from these visionaries. Few groups in the heavy underground have the same level of sonic ambition and hearing them pull it all together on Mannequin has really been a delight. Few bands grasp the same level of technical ecstasy, and fewer still really push their boundaries in this way. While this was not an unexpected move from Sail, it certainly was a great one. It leaves me very curious as to where these cats will go next.

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