I BUILT THE SKY - The Quiet Place Away
Building THE SKY on a Quiet Day
Written by: Rod Whitfield - Independent | Monday 30 May 2022
For the uninitiated, I BUILT THE SKY is not really a band, as such, but a solo project for young Melbourne guitar prodigy Rohan Stevenson (although he puts a ripping band around himself when he tours). He is known for his loud, high-octane instrumental guitar tracks, but here, he turns that sound completely on its head.
Pictured: Rohan Stevenson and the sky he built @ Uncaged Festival - Sydney (2022)
Photo by: Jimmy Wah
THE REVIEW
On the appropriately titled The Quiet Place Away, gone are the bombastic rhythms and blistering leads, nowhere to be heard are the pounding drums and overdriven electric guitars, absent is the proggy technicality. All that has been replaced by ear-pleasing acoustic guitars, supported by washy stringy goodness.
Yes, this is I BUILT THE SKY’s quiet/chilled acoustic album.
Taking such a sharp turn, stylistically, is always a risk for an established artist. But most (although by no means all) fans of the more progressive styles of music are open-minded enough to at least give it a good listen before judging, and many of those are open minded enough to really enjoy it. Obviously, it still needs to be good, and that’s exactly what we have here. This album is an exquisitely crafted piece of acoustified prog-rock artistry.
First up, the acoustic guitars sound absolutely sweet; resonant and expertly played, when strummed, picked or arpeggiated, or when Stevenson makes use of subtle harmonics to punctuate the tuneful lines. Banjos and mandolins also make unexpected but welcome appearances to add to the warm palate of sound. The strings, which were apparently real and played live in the studio, add a lush, washy sheen to the presentation that is simply irresistible. Percussion is kept to a subtle minimum, and of course, vocals and lyrics have no place here.
The production is warm and crystal clear, doing absolute justice to the dextrous playing and compositional inspiration.
Indeed, cohesive and eminently listenable, the compositions are superb, taking the ear and the emotions on an ambient sonic journey across ethereal acoustic soundscapes, best typified by the dreamy and soulful New Universe and the superb Time Travel Experience, which opens quietly but builds into a sweeping and emotional symphonic experience.
This bloke should be writing film soundtracks.
THE VERDICT
In a nutshell, this is a fabulous acoustic prog album, and just about any progressive music fan on the planet looking for a more mellow moment in between the electric bombast that is prog rock/metal will find much to love here.
9/10
The Quiet Place Away drops this Friday 3 June 2022. Album launch Friday 24 June.
Pre-Order and get your Tickets below.
Pictured: Rohan Stevenson and the bloke who BUILT THE SKY
Photo by: Sam Tan