WE PERSUADE OURSELVES WE ARE IMMORTAL (WITH PETER HAMMILL)

One of the great mysteries of universe is how something could come out of nothing. Though this record won't answer that for you, it does do a great job in creating a whole (rather pleasant) album out of almost no song- writing ideas. Or performances for that matter. I was drawn to this record because of the beautiful artwork and great collaboration of Peter Hammill (of VDGG fame) with Isildurs Bane in 2019. Peter Hammill appears in the opening track and is credited as a co-writer of that song.

'We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal' is a rather typical space-rock record with lots of synths, some wind- instruments, a touch of folk, improvisational female vocals, dreamy electric guitar leads and a lot of interlude- type moments. The use of a choir and a string section is a nice touch, though even these parts sound a bit liked they were just used as samples. The main instrument is the mixing itself here. You can hear the ideas returning in many forms and the sound pallet is the record its most advanced trait. You can hear influences of Hawkwind, but I can't help but thinking it also sound a lot like Ramasus' 'Space Hymns' record (that one with the beautiful Roger Dean cover). Almost to the point of this record being a direct wink tot that rare album from 1971.

When you've heard the first twelve minutes of symphonic space folk with vocals of Peter Hammill you've heard about every musical idea the album has to offer. The other tracks sound like remixes, reprises and interludes to my ears. Even in the opening track the band does not manage to build up to real moments of bliss because of the lack an inciting song-structure. When listening to this album with full attention it can easily become a drag. But perhaps that's not the idea here; this album is more like an electronic ritual with a single main theme. It does successfully set that perfect space prog mood and sounds both vintage and modern at the same time. On side two 'Psych Recap' has some avant-prog appeal, but the song is again filled with remixed vocals and musical themes from the opening song.

This record is good, but in no ways essential to my ears. If the main contributers Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain were to attract a serious song-writing talent they could easily create one of the best retro-space-folk-prog albums ever made. This record sounds great, it just lacks substance in my opinion.