“Penumbra” is the seventh studio album from Sairen – a musical project led by Guillaume De Marqué – and it is an album very much in the European post rock style with all the inspired musical posturing that would be expected of the genre.
That is, of course, no bad thing if your ears are attuned to long, but clearly focused, extemporisations that range in style from extended soundtrack cues to atmospheric introspection and back again. Those of you familiar with the genre will no doubt agree that post rock, especially European style, has always veered towards pretension but with literate musicality underpinning everything on this album, the Sairen train always remains safely and precisely on its chosen track.
These ten – all wordless, of course - songs do not lack in either structure or scope and can easily be classed as serious as, it can safely be assumed, was the original intent. “Penumbra” is therefore an album that demonstrates the maturity that comes time and is, therefore, destined for the ears blessed with determination.