And So I Watch You From Afar – Megafauna review

Music and words have a profound, but complicated relationship; often the former matters more than the latter, although a great lyricist can move people in ways those in other fields of literature are rarely capable of.

And So I Watch You From Afar – or ASIWYFA as they prefer – are a quartet from Portrush on Nortern Ireland’s rugged coast, now relocated to Belfast. Their music is most easily labelled at post rock, but on their fifth album Megafauna they also traverse prog, punk, metal and ambient noise; conceptually a tribute to the people and places who shaped them, it’s vast sonic scope maps the band’s greatest work to date.

The lack of words (Vocals are only occasionally hinted at) means the listener is allowed to focus on the intricate phrasing and phasing, with each track wearing multiple guises. Opener North Coast Megafauna opens with sone light, jazzy inferences, before the noise crashes in like waves, whilst Gallery of Honour thrashes admirably. The signature moment though comes with Do Mór, which feels too good to have mere words sung over it. It’s a strange relationship, and Megafauna proves that sometimes a break for both parties can be a very, very good thing.

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