Grails - Black Tar Prophecies vols 1,2 &3 [Imporant records - 2006]You cant always judge a album by it’s cover or title- case in point the new Grails album- from the cover you’d be mistaken for this been very much in doom type territory and while some of this does wonder that way- it’s only a small brush stroke in the bigger, genre shifting picture on offer here. We dip down in post rock, folk, country, metal riffing, blues laid back vista, jazzy flourishes, dubby bass lines, smoky dark lounge vibe. This seems to go all over the place. This collects together all of Grails Black Tar Prophecies that were released on various labels over the last few years along with two new tracks never released before. What really stand out from the first to the last track is the quality and variation of sound, every style or genre they attempt they seem to pull it off floorless and with wonderful instrumental air, whiel add their own sheen to each piece. You really don’t know what to expect from one track to the next. Don’t get me wrong this isn’t jump cut from style to style like Naked City or Mr Bungle- when a track starts it will stay much in the same flavour, just build depth and colour to each piece as they play out there running time.
I really enjoyed this much more than I expected to. Of interest to anyone who enjoys well played and atmospheric music. That try’s to break a lot of cliches connected with instrumental/ post rock music, and succeeds.    Roger Batty
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