The Good Weather For An Airstrike project was initially conceived at the beginning of 2009 to help Tom alleviate the issues caused by suffering from tinnitus, which causes a ringing sensation in the ear and can often result in difficulty sleeping. The idea was to create a collection of relaxing sounds which would help induce sleep and this was evident in the release of a self titled debut EP in March; a short collection of subtle drones which created a chilling ambience which was more absorbing the closer one listened. Over this last year though he has moved gradually towards more song based structures which has helped to shape the sound on Signals.

From the discordant picked guitar intro of the first track it's clear that this release is pushing for something which goes beyond being good music to fall asleep to. This is re-inforced by the majestic minimalism of We Fall Back Into The Ocean which recalls the more subdued moments of Max Richter's Blue Notebooks with it's austere strings and repeated piano motif. The ambient dream pop of A Last Farewell And We Shall Run comes off like a mixture between The Album Leaf and A Sunny Day in Glasgow, with the raw drums being given space to breathe the track takes on a vast expansive echoing feel which mirrors the recurring oceanic theme which threads all of these songs together. This runs most blatantly through the titles but there is also something in the sound of each of the tracks which lends itself to such imagery, from the way the sounds quietly roll in to earshot on the opening track and then fade away on the closer (there's a little bit of a hidden track there which you have to listen very closely for). The more drone based tracks which fans will be familiar with have always had a similar feeling and they retain that here, the gradual rise and fall of the title track is difficult not to be submerged in, with glimpses of light flickering off the tumbling waves of noise to craft equally memorable melodies.

Signals succeeds in serving as both a soothing collection of ambient sounds to drift off with or an intriguing listen which reveals more with each listen. All of the tracks containing those little details which you don't quite notice first time but which make them worth revisiting over and over again.



Released through Sonic Reverie Records:
www.sonicreverie.co.uk