Indie Light

Skyhill are an electro-synth outfit, originally from Brooklyn. They are primarily formed of Dan Avidan, the lead vocalist, and Peter Lennox, the guitarist, with the pair adding to the lineup when performing live. Skyhill is a semi-active musical project for the pair, having entered into a hiatus following the release of their debut album in 2007, although they have subsequently come together to release two singles, in 2015 and 2020. This isn’t our first time covering Skyhill on Indie Light either, and if you’re interested you can click here to read more. Today, though, I’ll be reviewing their album ‘Out In The Moonlight’ which was released October 13th 2023.

‘The Last Domino’ opens with soft and slow guitars, a vibrant synthy melody that perfectly supports Dan’s voice. It’s been a hot minute since I last reviewed a Skyhill track and as always I’m impressed by the skill that Dan and Peter possess. This song in particular is a really great opening to what is already shaping up to be a great album. I have to mention the energy of the track, it’s vibrant and high tempo, just blaring forward and building, it really captures you immediately. 

‘Howling at the Moon’ has a really big and impactful build, deep sonorous tones that begin to flesh together, before exploding forward, another song with a high degree of momentum and energy that immediately grabs you as the listener. It’s punchy and catchy and just does not let up. It also perfectly suits Dan’s vocals, the synthy energy goes well with his higher register range, and the result is something truly magical, truly a standout track on the album. 

‘Ghost Light’ slows things down a touch, opening with a slow building choral melody, before kicking things up a notch, an explosion of energy, and vocals, this time by Maiah Wynne, she counterpoints and meshes with Dan’s vocals really well. I will admit given the title and the slower opening I expected something a little different from this track, but I was by no means disappointed with what I got, as it’s truly a superb track, that manages to be busy without being cluttered and just keeps you engaged throughout. 

‘Vague Lines’ kicks things off with staccato piano chords, with some nice crisp distortion thrown in for good measure, before the melody builds in earnest, percussion and bigger electronic sounds that grow and explode in a sensational combination. I really do have to commend the drums and percussion in this track, they really add real texture to the audio and elevate the entire sound. It may change on a subsequent revisit to the album, but I’m confident in saying that this is my personal favourite from the entire album, although it was difficult to pick just one entry amongst so many other strong entries. 

‘From Dust’ has an opening melody that’s initially reminiscent of ‘Stronger’ by Kelly Clarkson, before it blends out into a deeper, heavier and very bass driven composition. I just declared my number 1 pick for the album, but ‘From Dust’ impressed me so much that it takes the number 2 slot. I love the vibrant and bouncy instrumentals, and how well it gels with Dan’s voice. It’s a really engaging and energetic number that pulls no punches. It also has some of my favourite vocals of the entire album, something about Dan’s performance in this track has added depth and vulnerability that really resonates for me. 

‘Stockholm Syndrome’ opens big, perhaps my favourite intro of the entire album, the screaming crowd vocals blending into just ambient noise is really cool, and then flowing steadily into a light percussive and chord rich melody is just perfect. Plus it’s another genuine vocal triumph for Dan all of which together really sells it for me. 

‘Quiet the Lions’ goes quickly from atmospheric tones, to a powerful synth driven and heavy bass fuelled melody. It’s the type of beat that you feel in your heart, that just lives inside you, so vibrant that you are just taken on a journey. Dan’s singing in this is superb, but the true standout for this track is the melody which is just on a whole other level. 

‘Fireflies’ build slowly, delicate bouncing tones, like genuine fireflies in the air, it grows and flows forward and you’re just taken along for the ride. This is another amazing entry for lovers of Dan’s voice, in many of the other tracks he’s obviously a focal point, it’s a delicate and precise balance between instrumental and vocals, but occasionally there are tracks like this where his performance is just exceptional. 

‘The Whisper’ is a gradual build, slower and more melodic to begin with before exploding and hammering forward but unlike some of the other tracks which build and then remain at a high throughout, this is more balanced, with slower moments punctuated throughout providing a nice counterpoint. 

‘Live Another Day’ much like the previous entry is slower and more atmospheric in its initial opening, before it explored into a very stripped back, but punchy percussive melody, it’s really engaging and shows us something really special as we come up to the final track on the album. 

‘Out in the Moonlight’ is the title track of the album, and as such bears extra weight, and equally as the final track on the album, it’s got a lot of expectations, and on both counts it does not disappoint, the heavy percussion, the ambient synth driven melody, the bonus of Maiah Wynne’s subtle vocal additions. It incorporates a lot of what made the previous tracks really good and served as a great closer to what has been a genuinely breathtaking album. 

So that’s what I thought of Skyhill’s album ‘Out in the Moonlight’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. Keep an eye on the band’s website for any updates.