In another world, at another time, Come On Live Long would have made it big with their 2013 debut Everything Fall. An album that explored the quieter corners of melody while also delving headlong into the expansive outer reaches
of indie, folk and electronica, it was an ambitious, impressive and altogether underrated record that came good on the promise of their fledgling EPs.
Instead of international acclaim, the Dublin-based quartet acquired impressive reviews and the respect of their peers, but diverged in the way that many independent bands do; with a solid beginning to their story, but lacking the momentum to keep them firing on all cylinders.
There is an upswing to the story, and In the Still is it. Having come back together for its follow-up four years later, there is a sense of quiet confidence about this collection that is less concerned with success and more motivated by expanding their sound and their vision.
It's most clearly audible on the R&B groove of Bones to Break and perversely, on the pared-back, softly crooned My Love Leaves, while the subtle sense of disquiet that permeated their debut is still present in lyrics such as "My dreams are frightening these days / And I can't tell if I enjoy it", as heard on For the Birds.
Most ot the other songs begin with a tentative breathiness before crashing into life, grappling with electronica (Sum of Its Parts), dream-pop (Peak) and ethereal experimentation (Little Hedgehog) in the process, with co-vocalists Louise Gaffney and Robert Ardiff weaving themselves into the fabric of the songs such as the excellent, groove-heavy Why Don't You with an assured composure.
It may not bring them world domination, but it’s a record to return to repeatedly.
