Proudly hailing from the picturesque, if humble, downlands of rural Wiltshire, melodious renegades Port Erin have just released their third studio album, and sixth total recording, entitled ‘Floating Over the City’, via Secret Chord Records. The label claim to have a “complete disregard for convention”, a sentiment which the band, themselves, evidently share. The West-Country’s most versatile products, Port Erin pay no heed to any perceived orthodoxy, and instead let their boundless musicality, as well as their multi-instrumentality, lead them along the aural paths less travelled, through the ‘Sticky Plateau’, and into the vast expanse of charmingly tuneful discovery.

​‘Floating Over the City’ touches upon so many genres that it is difficult to accurately describe the essence of the album in just one word, as pigeonholing bands in such a way requires us to do. Primarily, we may observe elements of jazz and funk, however, degrees of contemporary rock, indie, and progressive avant-garde are also evident. Specifically, ‘When it all Breaks Down’ features pop ballad-esque verses that blend seamlessly into ambient choruses, culminating, aptly, in a psychedelic breakdown. ‘Can’t Tell’, on the other hand, features prominent and punchy bass lines which punctuate curious, effect laden guitar solos of which Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, himself, would be proud. It would seem that Port Erin have placed themselves firmly in contention for the now vacant title the ‘Renegades of Funk’!

Though the melodic elements of the album are constantly changing, the lyrics remain contemplative and philosophical throughout, on both a personal level, and on a much grander scale. With reference to the album’s title track, Reuben Tyghe, responsible for the majority of the lyrics, explains that he wrote the song to himself, “a younger, unaware person in his early twenties having the clichéd post twenty one identity crisis”. Such reflection, and introspection, is a common theme of ‘Floating Above the City’, however, the song, and the album both, are discursive on a much broader scale.

‘Makes No Difference’ addresses the minefield that is morality, while ‘Can’t Tell’ explores the narratives of truth and deceit from an almost post-modern perspective, questioning not only our ability to perceive such discourse, but also, indeed, its very existence. My favourite lyrics from the album, however, encapsulate so many feelings in one simple sentiment. “Riding my bike, man. Nothing can stop me” is a phrase that possesses an interminable innocence, yet remains immensely self-aware, suggesting, to me, that traversing the path to happiness and enlightenment encapsulates the very height of happiness and enlightenment themselves. If happiness is your destination, and your journey towards that destination makes you happy, then you have already arrived.

Port Erin are a band that deserve far more recognition than they are currently receiving, which sounds surprising, considering that they made their fourth bow on the stages of Glastonbury’s world renowned Festival earlier this year. However, their combined musical talent alone, from a technical perspective, far exceeds that of many bands currently dominating the mainstream spotlight.

Their ability to touch upon so many unique stylistic elements, not only over the course of the album, but within a single song, intimates an affinity with a higher musical purpose, almost as if the notion of the ‘genre’ was non-existent; Port Erin are a genre unto themselves, ‘meta-music’, if you will. ‘Floating Over the City’ is one of the most unique and diverse albums that will hear this year. In fact, it’s probably one of the most unique and diverse albums that you will hear in your life.

J.Batchford