Pijn are a band that always captivates, enchants and intrigues me. This Post-Rock outfit has always taken instruments, sounds and effects and made them into more than music.
For nearly 8 years now, the band has been based next to the infamous UK Strangeways Prison and in that time the band have released several EPs and albums – the debut Loss was originally released in 2018 (it was reimagined and rereleased in 2020) and in 2019 the collaboration album with Conjurer was released under the heading of Curse These Metal Hands.
From Low Beams Of Hope is made up of 4 tracks that span over 45 minutes and include audio clips from touring and studio moments, almost giving us a deep dive into the band and not just the music. These clips by no means overpower – they are occasional glimpses behind the music into the minds that make it.
When it comes to instrumental-only music, its takes something special to grip me and Pijn certainly does this with ease on From Low Beams Of Hope. Each track has its own feel and ambience as you feel the softer instruments wash over you like soundwaves – however please don’t think that those waves won’t occasionally get a bit rougher and begin to crash into your body – feeling the force of nature.
When you also consider the length of the tracks, you really have to ensure that the feel is there and not lost and Pijn do this expertly. Engaging your body throughout, your mind will be tingling from what is more than music. It is raw, yet precise and everything has its purpose and everything feels so vulnerable – almost like getting to experience the inner workings of a troubled mind.
From Low Beams Of Hope is not an album that you just put on and give it a spin, it is one for you to lose yourself in and feel a bit different after experiencing it. From Low Beams Of Hope is an album to turn up, hear all the intricacies and switch off the outside noise – let your mind go with the sounds and your feelings wander along with it. For those who have never tried it, now is the time.
From Low Beams Of Hope is an all-round experience that will have a hold on you from start to finish and make you truly feel the music.
From Low Beams Of Hope will be released Friday, June 14th 2024 via Floodlit Records.
Review: Ed Ford
Tracklist
1 Our Endless Hours
2 Carved Expanse
3 On The Far Side Of Morning
4 A Thousand Tired Lives
Pijn ARE:
Joe Clayton – guitar
Jon Vernon – drums
Maggie Lister – cello
Ed Bottomley – bass, saxophone
Thomas Ragsdale – tape loops, bass VI, keys
Claire Northey – violin (studio)
FORTHCOMING GIGS/TOUR DATES:
Jul 13: UK, Nottingham – Mangata Festival
Oct 26: NL, Maastricht – Samhain Festival
Nov 2: UK, Manchester – Damnation Festival
Pijn online:
Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp