Since being discovered in 2011 Snakadaktal have wisely taken their time in building towards this debut release.
Sleep In The Water isn’t a drastic change in their sonic palette. Stylistically it’s much the same as their self-titled EP. However the improvement between the two releases is marked.
The composition of striking guitar chords, synth driven atmospherics and the confidence of both vocalists sounds far more assured on their debut album.
The record also strikes an equitable balance between vocalists Phoebe Cockburn and Sean Heathcliff.
Neither outshine each other on the album and nor should they. Their vocals work together in Snakadaktal but whether they could stand on their own is far less certain.
Cockburn spends her time yearning through using the imagery of the big blue on ‘Feel The Ocean Under Me’, or at least some form liquidity as heard on ‘Too Soon’, just as the album title and artwork concerns itself.
Yet when Heathcliff takes his turn in front the songs are far more candid in their lust or lack thereof as he sings, “cause I don’t love you, what if that were true”, on the delicate opening part of ‘The Sun’.
Snakadaktal prove through the gorgeous ballad of ‘Ghost’ and the upbeat pop number in ‘Hung On Tight’ that they possess talent at either ends of the spectrum. But on the ascension towards the climax of ‘Sleep’ and the record itself, where they ditch the pop formula, Snakadaktal prove to be their best.
While they haven’t quite broken free of the shackles that comes with being the adolescent pop version of The xx just yet, it would be unfair to pigeon hole them as solely that.
Sleep In The Water is an important step in Snakadaktal finding their own feet. A few more steps and don’t be surprised if the five-piece deliver on the potential that they hinted at when they were first discovered through Triple J Unearthed High.
