Gentle acoustic rhythms with warm layers of reverb-kissed keys and synth create a colourful, aptly emotional ambiance as Unity introduce their project All The Feelings.
Soul’s Journey makes for a fine starting point, showcasing these qualities amidst an intricate progression that feels optimistic yet rooted in story-telling – the melody and chord pattern subtly evolve and the soundscape brightens.
There’s a creative shift a third of the way in, where we get cinematic fragments of scene-setting – a change in the story, a turn of the page – and another shift to fullness and immersive energy for the final section. This trait proves a likable calling card of Unity, and allows the music to feel authentically original and provoke a deeper level of escapism as it pours through.
Unity’s manner of taking you there, utilising the implications of a title and exploring these with poetry and/or sheer musical expression, is a strong truth that their music consistently holds close to.
Consider the subtle electro-funk and trip hop embrace of I’ll Be Awake, with its intimate voice yet vague, imagery-laden lyrics for an accessible, cleverly dreamy mood.
Similar production shines throughout but always the set-up varies slightly depending on the purpose of each track. So with Farewell, hints of electric guitar and piano collide and intertwine throughout a rhythmically organic mix, yet still this feels quite clearly relevant to the project and the band. A decidedly short song, with a select few heartfelt ideas presented that linger as the echoing ambiance surrounds the listener.
One final piece from the collection worth hearing is the gentle shuffle and hypnotic disconnection of Above The Night. All at once intimate and somewhat distant and disjointed, the song delivers on its concept in everything from the musical layers to the performance to the lyrics. The vocal proves one of the most subtly passionate of all, laying bare a side to Unity that hadn’t previously come through – a leading character, a personality and possible vulnerability at the heart of the work.
Unity have their sound and stick with it, exploring various topics in a thoughtful and musically delicate, calming way. All The Feelings is everything its title promises to be, yet perhaps nothing like you’ll be expecting.
Download the music via Bandcamp.
