“Final Feather” by Unwed Sailor

Johnathon Ford and Co. return with another slice of solid, un-pretentious post-rock.

Every time Unwed Sailor releases a new album, I find myself wondering where they’re going. Johnathon Ford and his various collaborators have been so consistent over the years, ever since 1998’s Firecracker EP, that I wonder if they have anything left to say with their brand of instrumental post-rock.

And then I listen to a song like “Final Feather” from this year’s Underwater Over There, and I realize what a silly question that is. Anchored, as always, by a fluid Ford bassline, the song features dreamy synths and chiming guitar melodies that sound like they could summon the specter of Head on the Door-era Robert Smith at any moment.

As with the best Unwed Sailor songs, there’s nothing pretentious here, none of the existential sturm und drang that’s so often associated with the post-rock genre. Rather, it’s just good, honest songwriting and arrangements that never get dated or go out of style.

Underwater Over There is currently available for purchase on Bandcamp in digital, vinyl, and CD formats. Unwed Sailor will also be hosting a listening party for the album on May 24, 2024 at 2:00pm CDT.

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