For his seventh album as Yellow6, Jon Attwood has reverted back to a solo project after enlisting singer Ally Todd for 2005’s Melt Inside album.

Painted Sky features ten sonic landscapes, dusty and empty as far as the eye can see. Though this revisits an earlier style, this time round he has removed many of the layers, creating something altogether sparser, like Explosions In The Sky and My Education’s quiet moments.

This is not simply post-rock by numbers, though. The removal of the loud part of the quiet/loud formula gives the music a whole new dynamic. Those other bands are daytime, Yellow6 is night time. Not just night time but specifically the last few minutes just before dawn.

The style is most effective on Eighteen Days, a piece of music that is heartbreakingly beautiful but features little more than a gentle guitar line and some soft drums.

Every time a new Yellow6 album appears, I always wonder to myself if I really need another. It’s proof of the quality of the music that I always find that I do.

Label: Resonant
Website: www.yellow6.com
Release date: 19th March 2007

Tracklist:

1. I Know I Shouldn’t (But I Do)
2. I Loved You More Before I Knew You Loved Me
3. Common
4. NYE 2
5. Realisation
6. Pleasure/Pain
7. Eighteen Days
8. Requiem For Julian
9. Maré
10. Azure