Sandmoon is a Lebanese band from Beirut coming out with their 3rd album after their first release “home” in 2013 and their second album “Put a gun/commotion” in 2020. “While we watch the horizon sink” released on the 4th of November 2022 produced by Marwan Tohme at Tunefork Studios in Lebanon with Sandra Arslanian on lead and backing vocals, synths and guitar, Sam Wehbi on lead guitar, Georgy Flouty on bass and guitar on while we watch the horizon, and Dani Shukri on drums.
This album is considered a milestone for the band as they set the bar high for experimenting by adding different layers of a genre mix. “Bearable lightness of being” starts off with a folkish catchy guitar line powered by surf groove bass and drums. By the time we reach the verse the vocals take the song to a different dimension giving it an indie vibe backed by atmospheric guitars that fill the background giving it a shoegaze vibe. As the first track of the album, it does grab the attention of the listener and sends him on an exploration journey. In “Spirals in my head” you’ll hear eastern vocals on western music while maintaining the indie sound and a guitar riff in the chorus that immediately grabs attention. ”Where do we go from here” is a pure alternative-indie song that starts with a smooth bass line which sets the mood for the melodic guitars to come in. The song’s lyrics talk about seeking guidance from the mother while describing the situation of the world going mad and insane. However, the mother’s world is filled with love and as warm as the bass line which is the backbone of the song. “Absolution” is an acoustic song backed by a huge ambiance giving it depth while keeping it as simple as possible. Most of the album is guitar-based but they start to change that in the last two songs “silent leaders” which is piano-based and “wake up” which is synth-based.
It is a truly experimental and intriguing album with a surprising mix of rock, indie, dream pop, and folk.