Perhaps you have already heard of Sora Shima, the cinematic maestros from Hamilton. Perhaps you are familiar with their crystalline arrangements and particular breed of grandeur. If that is the case does it surprise you that You Are Surrounded is actually their full-length debut? Despite being on the scene for eight years, and having a couple of well-received EPs to their name, it was only now in 2014 that said debut record was ready to see the light of day. And what a treat it is.
Whether it's the vast scope of 'Sendai / Kurosawa' that seizes your attention or the terrible beauty of 'And Behold a Pale Horse' this is one memorable voyage. The key to the Sora Shima sound is that You Are Surrounded is not one of those cold, bloodless affairs the genre can sometimes be guilty of. These songs positively bristle with life. Every single instrument track has fingerprints all over it, humanity woven into it's very DNA. That sense of realness is a welcome anchor that binds the music to Earth as these sprawling numbers wind their way out into the furthest reaches of the cosmos. This is a fantastic debut but that part is hardly a surprise.
