I
VÁN
German mesmerists go in search of a higher state
Tav’s debut album is as enigmatic as the nameless band themselves; it reveals more of itself with repeated plays and in turn becomes a meditation on what we expect from dark, heavy music. I treads the path of melancholic rock but Tav’s strength lies in their longform compositions that feature hauntingly beautiful, albeit curiously monotonous, clean vocals. It’s a strange journey, yet it’s one that gives the impression that the German band are reaching for a state of enlightenment with the ritualistic simplicity of their songs, and that by doing away with the unnecessary, a profound change will come. Boundless Gaol strikes an emotive chord with supplicant vocals while the music itself moves in shimmering guitar lines and bittersweet atmospheres. Each of the six songs segue seamlessly into the next before Cinder closes I on fragile movements and a potent sense of deliverance.