Thus Owls - Who Would Hold You If The Sky Betrayed Us? (2022) Hi-Res

Thus Owls are a rare gem in the Montreal music scene, one that keeps making music according to their own terms. This statement rings especially true with their fifth full-length, Who Would Hold You If the Sky Betrayed Us?, an expansive double-album rooted in avant-garde jazz, improvisation and experimental rock that challenges you to rethink your expectations of what an indie band should sound like.

Previously released 2018 effort The Mountain That We Live Upon showcased the power of the six-string, with a lineup that featured four guitarists resulting in thick, multi-layered textures. This time, the husband-and-wife duo of Erika and Simon Angell decided to focus on the timbre of the saxophone to provide their new release with a distinct sonic identity. The result is a bit unconventional for a modern rock album, although the influence of David Bowie's Blackstar (acknowledged by the band) looms large.

As much as the sound of Thus Owls relies on the chemistry of the Angells, the guest performers are the real stars here. Saxophonists Claire Devlin (tenor), Adam Kinner (tenor) and Jason Sharp (bass sax) play an essential role in shaping these 13 new compositions, often providing the basic melodic material on which the music is built. Tracks like "Balconies" and "Who Would Hold You?" illustrate this perfectly, with labyrinthine brass lines that reveal the influence of both post-bop jazz and the American minimalist school of Terry Riley and Steve Reich.

Elsewhere, the band alternates between progressive psychedelia and languid trip-hop. "I Forget What I Remembered" first echoes Portishead with its steady, slow beat, before the sax harmonies turn it into something that wouldn't have been out of place on King Crimson's Lizard. Opener "Bleeding" is another strong number, harking back to the prog-folk movement of the 1970s, but with the brass providing more abrasive orchestrations. Throughout the record, long-time collaborator Samuel Joly proves especially versatile on drums, capable of shifting from a jazzy, cymbal-driven sound to something more pounding when the mood commands it.

With its 66-minute running time, Who Would Hold You If the Sky Betrayed Us? leaves ample room for improvisation, and the band takes full advantage of that. On "Above the Sun," Simon Angell channels the guitar hero in him with a shredding solo, while "Perfectly Younger" embraces cacophony in an almost Ornette Coleman manner. Yes, there are a few eccentricities here and there in terms of virtuosic display, but nothing that feels like plain overindulgence.

Despite some jarring stylistic shifts, the album maintains its coherence thanks to the deep, slightly raspy voice of Erika Angell which acts like a guiding presence. Some of the lyrics were obviously tainted by the pandemic, and songs like "Lover Mother" and "I Miss Her Like My Country" reflect on her feelings of being isolated from her Swedish family during that time.

Thus Owls appear to have been rejuvenated since the release in 2015 of their Black Matter EP, on which they started to let go of the more indie folk aesthetics of their previous work. Instead, they've embraced a more ambitious sound with elaborate and intricate arrangements, proving that the harder it is to categorize music, the better it usually is. There's no point in trying to decide if Who Would Hold You If the Sky Betrayed Us? is jazz or rock. It's both of these things, and much more.