I’ll be honest that I was worried about the new IO Earth album. I was a big fan of the original vocalist, Claire Malin, and of the newer vocalist, Rosanna Lefevre. My least favorite IO Earth album is 2015’s New World, which featured vocalist Linda Odinsen. Now, it wasn’t her fault that I didn’t connect with the record, but seeing that she was returning for Sanctuary put me on edge, especially since the last couple records have been fantastic. I’m happy to say that my worries were unfounded, though, as Sanctuary is a great album. It released on June 23rd.
IO Earth are based out of the UK. They’ve seen various lineup changes through the year, and I’ve already mentioned that former vocalist Linda Odinsen has returned. The rest of the personnel list includes Dave Cureton on guitar, bass, keys, vocals, and percussion; Adam Gough on keys, guitar, orchestrations, and percussion; Luke Shingler on sax and flute; Christian Nokes on bass; and Tim Wilson on drums.
The band has evolved over the years, trying various sounds and approaches. I was rather a fan of their ambient approach on 2020’s Aura, and I feel like that has translated over to Sanctuary somewhat. This album is heavier than most of the band’s records, but it still contains an ambient element. Instead of feeling gritty and raw in its heaviness, it feels lush and developed. There are jazz and classical elements, too, which is normal for IO Earth, but the overall tone here is the contrast between spacious melody and heavier textures.
I would say that this is one of the darkest albums in the band’s history, too. Many of the choruses are more downtempo or whispered in hushed tones. There is definitely a feeling of mystery, shadow, and evolution here. Solitude in 2018 had some darker segments, but I feel this album is much darker.
The album opens with “Outside” a nice, groovy, metro sort of tune that sounds explicitly IO Earthean. The guitars have noticeably more bite. “Running” follows it, and man does it remind me of a Frequency Drift tune with its flirty, flitting rhythm and weird song structure. I really like that one. The title track follows that, and it’s one of my favorites here. I really like the dark, almost visceral vocals on the chorus, plus the fidgety ambient portion in the second half.
“The Child” starts the new section of the album, and it’s an interesting piece. Much of it is ambient, either in electronic or neoclassical fashion, and it has this savage beauty to its heavier portions that makes it feel alive. “Close By” is a nice ballad from Linda; I think it is perfectly placed in the album, and she delivers a hushed, human performance. “Airborne” is another interesting one with its slower, tender first half, and its diverse second half full of guitars and quirky beats.
The last portion of the album is good, too. I like “Changes”, though it might be my least favorite overall. The guitar work is absolutely nuts, but the mix is a little dense and fuzzy, and Linda sounds off, for some reason. “Sunshine” is similar, but better, with its heavier rock vibe. The closer, “Won’t Be Afraid”, is one of my favorites. It is cinematic and deeply melodic overall, and Linda sounds amazing. It is the most emotional part of the album, too, and it buries itself in my soul. Great ending.
Overall, while this isn’t my favorite IO Earth album, it is worthy of their excellent discography. Sanctuary visits the band’s darker side and there are more contrasts here than I’ve heard from them in the past. I think this is a good album that will grow on me as time passes.
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