Review / 200 Words Or Less
Small Sails
Similar Anniversaries

Other Electricites (2007) Shane

Small Sails – Similar Anniversaries cover artwork
Small Sails – Similar Anniversaries — Other Electricites, 2007

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Small Sails are here to put you in a seriously great mood. Formerly known as Adelaide, this once cinematic instrumental band decided to add some vocals as an instrument and completely leave words out of the equation. "Ooohs" and "Ahhhhs" litter the album as the band traverses through ten tracks and sees them play everything from Rhodes Piano to vibraphone with very tasteful electronics backing it all. While there are some mellow moments on the album the band is at it's best when it's emitting positive vibes from all directions such as on the synth fronted "Aftershocks and Afterthoughts" or the precise sound of "Corners" which brings out the fondest memories of being a child. For fans of Sonna, the Roots of Orchis, or if you ever wanted to know what The Album Leaf would sound like if Jimmy Lavalle went his whole life without ever being heartbroken.

8.4 / 10Shane • July 8, 2007

Small Sails – Similar Anniversaries cover artwork
Small Sails – Similar Anniversaries — Other Electricites, 2007

Recently-posted album reviews

Sahan Jayasuriya

Don’t Say Please: The Oral History of Die Kreuzen
Feral House (2026)

For those of us who spent the mid-to-late 1980s navigating basement community halls, churches, and loveable, armpit-smelling dive bars, the name Die Kreuzen was a permanent fixture on the punk rock radar. They were the sound of the Midwest underground --too fast for the goths to do their spooky Bela Lugosi "shoo the bats away" interpretive dance, too technical for … Read more

Sewer Urchin

Global Urination
Independent (2025)

There’s a fine line between crossover thrash that feels dangerous and crossover thrash that just feels like a party. Global Urination doesn’t bother choosing because it does both loudly and without apology. St. Louis’ Sewer Urchin have been grinding since 2019, and on their latest full length they double down on everything that makes the genre work. They give us … Read more

Ingested

Denigration
Metal Blade (2026)

For a band that built its name on sheer brutality, Ingested have spent the last several years refining what that brutality actually means. With their newest release, Denigration, the band finds that continuing evolution. They’re still punishing, still precise, but noticeably more controlled and deliberate in how it all lands. From the outset, the record makes its intentions clear. “Dragged … Read more