3.5/5 stars

At first listen, it seems Wintersleep has been in a constant state of evolution and lightening up since this Nova Scotian band released its debut, self-titled album in 2003.

That effort was as mysterious and ominous as the Yarmouth fog, which led to 2005′s untitled album that was as powerful as the Bay of Fundy tides. Their breakout Welcome to the Night Sky was at times as grandiose and shiny as the tallest of Halifax buildings, and now most of New Inheritors evokes the sun beaming down on the Cape Breton highlands with its optimistic-sounding instrumentals and peaceful vibe.

It’s a bit weird to hear the same voice that plaintively declared “When I grow up I’ll be a monster” on “Orca” now assuring us that “happiness, it’s all around you” on “Mirror Matter”.

But like that metaphorical sun shining on a graveyard, there is still darkness lurking even when all seems happy and safe on the outside.

“Trace Decay” is one such song that opens with singer Paul Murphy almost sounding like Band of Horses (whose album came out the same day) before the band breaks into a wonderous, spacey jam that turns into an adventure-rock ending that would lift you up if you ignored the lyrics “had a party with nobody that would love you but the wine,” and “got more pills than the doctor should have ever described.”

Drugs and pills are referenced throughout the album, whether it’s the dreamy “Preservation” about the lengths people go to fight aging, to “Blood Collection” which ruins the romantic imagery that Bon Iver’s “Blood Bank” gave to rolling up your sleeves. 

This goes along with the overall feeling of the album, that you can cover things up on the outside but there’s something deeper that just isn’t right.

Another bittersweet tune is “Masoleum” in which Murphy fantasizes about running away to die together, about being “wrapped up in the gauze of your summer dress” where the love is strong but the sentiment is sad.

The band has incorporated new instrumentation, with strings at the beginning of “Experience the Jewel” and trumpet in the title track which sports a bouncy guitar opener and a nice, easy that wouldn’t be out of place in a children’s song.

It’s sort of the same style as their hit “Weighty Ghost” but about how these “new inheritors of Earth” may not need to worry about being left with a dump of a planet after our generation is gone.

Highlights include the rocker “Encyclopedia” with its Queens Of the Stone Age-style opener, and the poetry of ”Terrible Man” laid over summery instrumentals that almost sounds like Tom Petty.

This isn’t a bad album, but the band never seems to takes the chances seen on their last, Juno-winning album which produced euphoria out of the hopeless tales of lost eyes and being eaten by whales.

It all comes off a bit safe and the evolution seems to have been scaled down. Maybe the band has slowed its metamorphosis and found its niche that was closer to their earlier albums than the last, and maybe they found it hard to cover up the darkness that guided them for most of their career.

It’s just disappointing because when they really lifted the restraints and explored the light music/dark lyrics dynamic, the results were spectacular. I like it, but I wanted so much to love it.

-30-

You can stream the album, read lyrics and liner notes as well as an explanation of the album artwork on their website.

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