It was a Tuesday. The month was September. The date the 22nd and the year was 2020. Anathema announced their decision to enter an indefinite hiatus. Whilst there were feelings of hope, gratitude and love for the band there was an underlying notion of loss, confusion and sadness amongst fans of the band.
Since then, the musical landscape has been a very different place. However, Anathema gifted a wonderful legacy to progressive music and Vincent Cavanagh was very much integral to that. Countless moments of beauty and joy that create such overwhelming emotion are still very much there for us to return to. Which we do often! With the creative brilliance of Vincent working away on his own endeavours the time is now where we can hear the fruits of those labours under the moniker, The Radicant.
We Ascend is a brooding yet melancholic opener bristling with an understated energy. Piano, bass and synth combine beautifully, and the blissful healing charms of Vincent’s voice are immediately evident. That characteristic vulnerability and fragility are laid out and as always, he delivers every part of every syllable with such conviction and honesty it only enhances the emotional impact and allure of his beautiful voice. The momentum of the EP is instantly heightened as the industrial busyness of lead single Zero Blue fizzes along. Upbeat and with a punchy vibrancy there is more than a hint of psychedelia pulsing through its looping refrains.
Percussive changes aid the excitement, and some wonderful orchestration of synths add real depth to the song. Despite the injection of energy, Vincent still finds a way of retaining that warmth to his vocals that has been an enduring quality for so long.
A momentary dip in tempo but not energy is present as the dynamism of Anchor with its film noir soundtrack intro earworms its way into your very psyche. With a dreamy allure and sugary ambience Anchor floats along in a measured state of relaxation If only for a lingering moment though as rhythmic blasts of drum and bass erupt halfway through. Searing synth work is executed masterfully and doesn’t get missed despite the prominence of the drums and bass. Indeed, such is the wonderful production gifting We Ascend, there is a definite polished and modern essence gracing the five tracks, but it all feels and sounds wonderfully real and vibrant.
Wide Steppe possesses an otherworldly, heavenly aura. Its slow build with the layering of voices and the utterly hypnotic chloral vocals is mesmerising. The syncopation of the ethereal voice and the deep rhythmic, electronica beats inspired. This is haunting and wholly immersive in a way that Vincent found ways of repeatedly effortlessly composing in his previous, band and thankfully he has captured that fire and bottled it here. Wide Steppe builds beautifully and proves his is so adept at composing, invigorating, compelling music. This is not the work of a man merely flexing his artistic muscles, no, Wide Steppe is the art of a creative genius. We Ascend is beautifully bought to a close by Stowaway. Atmospheric, ambient and bathing in psychedelia it’s a relaxing and fitting finale to the EP. It’s difficult to not make comparisons and indeed there will be those seeking a much-needed Anathema fix.
In some ways The Radicant may satiate that thirst but We Ascend stands mightily tall on its own merit. It’s a breeze to listen to yet the songs, all five of them envelope you in all manner of varying ways, washing over you but very much leaving a mark. These are songs brimming with life, with energy and invoking the very same feelings that Vincent’s other band were able to conjure.
By goodness, it’s great to have you back Vincent.
Review by Robbie Maguire
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