Sour Blood drops debut record ‘SUAS’

Sour Blood is the moniker of Irish theatre artist and musician Kevin Gleeson, who hails from Tipperary in Ireland. Kevin first introduced Sour Blood in 2019 with a sold-out performance at the Dublin Dance Festival and has since become known for his emotive compositions and unique sonic language, earning attention for his unique approach to music.

First sharing the Sour Blood sound with the wider world in 2021 via the debut single “Sleep Paralysis,” his first EP, Good Nevers, followed later that year. Following a hiatus from sharing his original sonic vision, this year the artist has made an emphatic return, first releasing the title track and lead single “Suas” from his incoming debut record, two further singles followed before he now brings us the eight-track album, SUAS.

SUAS is a monumental achievement in Gleeson’s flourishing career. Written and recorded between Gothenburg and Dublin from 2022 to 2023, the album showcases his talent for blending rich orchestration with sonic grandiosity. This record presents an enthralling journey where each track feels like a thoughtfully constructed vignette of emotion and sound design.

Throughout SUAS, the artist’s collaboration with Brendan Jenkinson, known for his work with Villagers and Aoife Nessa Francis, among others, shines brightly. Brendan’s influence is felt in the album’s warmth and complexities, which enhance the already ambitious sonic ideas of Kevin Gleeson.

Opened by “Landfill,” the quiet flutter of strings is met with reverb-drenched choral vocalisations as the distant boom of the kick adds a rhythmic anchor. Gradually developing into a post rock landscape, the crunch of distortion and layered instrumentation forms an enveloping soundscape with abrupt moments of ebb and flow injecting constant twists and turns.

“Bruise” starts with the hushed patter of percussion as airy vocal leads drift above the stripped-back arrangement. Flowing with a lilting rhythmic sway, the flutter of orchestral instrumentation reframed in an experimental way crafts a truly unique sound that’s at once soothing and thought-provoking.

With “Mysterious Creature,” the the laid back plod of rhythms and quivering instrumental textures underpins elegant vocal leads. As Kevin’s voice drifts above the shifting soundscape, elements of piano and strings duck in and out of the avant-garde alternative pop setting, resulting in a superb showcase of Sour Blood’s artistic intentions.

Other highlights include title track “Suas” with its deconstructed arrangement tied together by the artist’s intimate vocals. Peppered by the rattle of percussion and dreamy swell of orchestral tones, the song offers a gripping listening experience that stitches disparate elements together in the finale to craft a subtly anthemic conclusion.

Closing the album with “Overgrowing,” the delicate strums of acoustic guitar set up a progressive folk outing that gently flows with graceful vocal leads and balance of warmth and shade as echoes of various instrumental textures add dashes of sonic hues to the piece. Across SUAS, Sour Blood offers an extraordinary window into the artist’s musical world, one that’s diverse, hypnotic and thoroughly worth gazing into.

Listen to SUAS below