We all know the stories of bands that disappeared after an album or two back in the 80s or 90s – stories that usually include rumors of unreleased albums. Every once and a while, one of those bands will come back and make new music. Even more rare are those that can dig up the old recordings and release them. Then there is the unique case of Writ on Water, who have had the rare opportunity to not only come back decades years later and release new music, but go back and record a follow-up album that never quite happened. Most fans of Writ on Water were aware of the plans to record The Greyest Day back in the 90s, and most of us were happy to have the demos of that album (which were released several years ago). However, this new album of fully recorded songs more than proves why Writ on Water needed to record them. While the demos were good, these new recordings go far beyond in quality and depth. You get 12 re-recorded songs and two never released songs (leaving one demo unique to the older CD). The music goes through several different moods, from the pounding and swirling “Points on a Line” to the almost techno/dubbishly moody “Wicker” to the gothic alt rock of “Withdrawn” to the darkly ambient “Degeneration.” However, this is still Writ on Water, and fans of Sylph and A Wingless King will feel right at home with this album. If there were musical justice in the world, a decent label would pick this up and put it out on vinyl. I know everyone is jumping on the vinyl bandwagon, but this is music that truly fits that format. For now, enjoy it digitally from most digital services.
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