The release of Clann sees the completion of the ‘Sia trilogy’ by folk proggers Solstice, and put simply, it’s an utterly sublime way to close the circle.
Solstice has been in existence for forty-plus years, with a couple of downtime periods along the way, and in this time they only released five studio albums. Since 2022, however, the band has released three studio albums, plus at least two ‘live’ sets, so what’s led to this sudden outburst of creativity? According to Solstice main man and ever-present Andy Glass, it started when vocalist Jess Holland joined, with her vocal talent helping to take the band up to the next level. When Ebony Buckle was also added, along with Dyane Crutcher, Glass further believed that with the potential the band now had, it would take about three albums for the band to start doing its best work. Since then, Solstice have released two fine albums, Sia and Light Up, and have now followed it with Clann.
This is a beautiful almost ethereal piece of work, with sublime vocals and gorgeous harmonies, lyrics taking a few subtle digs at the prevailing political orthodoxy, some very fine guitar work, a locked up tight rhythm section which’s played together for a long time and, from the joyous opening notes of ‘Firefly’ they sing “A song to take us on our way, light up the day again”. It’s all wonderfully melodic, featuring a delightful exploration of styles and genres. The band channels its inner funk on ‘Plunk,’ which sees trombone and sax being added to the sonic palette.‘Frippa’ uses a sampled Bernie Sanders dig at the blessed Donald. ‘Life’ being a more prog-influenced tune, not unlike something Big Big Train might do, and Andy Glass unleashes his inner guitar hero with a sparkling solo. It’ll be fascinating seeing whether the atmospheric ‘Twin Peaks’ can be reproduced onstage as, six minutes forty seconds in, the music volume drops right down and for the next five minutes, set to what could be the Pink Floyds ‘On The Run,’ there’s a quiet interlude before the band eventually rejoins to conclude the track. But, for this reviewer, the track of the album is ‘Earthsong 2025,’ which doesn’t feature on the vinyl release but is a bonus track on the CD, reprised from Solstice’s 1984 debut album, Silent Dance, with Ebony Buckle taking lead vocals beautifully. How lucky are Solstice to have two such superb singers in its lineup?
Does Clann represent Solstice’s best work? It’s certainly at least on a par with what’s been released in the past few years, with the band playing with the kind of relaxed confidence and ease a band feels when it knows it’s performing at the top of its game. The Sia Trilogy has set the bar high for any future album releases, as the potential in the band suggests they’re capable of exceeding anything they’ve done these past few years. Hopefully, this will be the album which sees Solstice taking a few more steps towards the wider appreciation and recognition their music deserves.
