April 2023 will finally see the first long-awaited reissue of 40 Watt Sun’s debut album, “The Inside Room,” via Svart Records, on both CD and vinyl.
Originally released in March 2011 by Cyclone Empire in Europe and Metal Blade in North America, and then limited to only one vinyl pressing, “The Inside Room” has been long out of print.
“The Inside Room” will be available on both black and trans-orange vinyl and a digipak CD.
“The Inside Room” features some of what have become the most well-known and requested songs in Patrick’s back catalogue, such as Restless and Carry Me Home. The cover art for the album is by Matt Mahurin (Tom Waits, Tracy Chapman, The Ramones) who also created the iconic art for Watching from a Distance.
Recorded and produced by the band at The Library Studio in London in little over 24 hours in October 2010, “The Inside Room” was mixed and mastered by bass player, William Spong. The original vinyl edition featured an exclusive bonus track titled “Take Me In,” which was not included on any previous CD versions of the album; both the CD and vinyl editions of this 2023 reissue will feature the track.
To mark the release, the current live iteration of 40 Watt Sun plan to play shows in 2023, performing “The Inside Room” in its entirety.
Pre-order the album here: https://www.svartrecords.com/en/product/40-watt-sun-the-inside-room
Tracklist:
01. Restless
02. Open My Eyes
03. Take Me In
04. Between Times
05. Carry Me Home
6. This Alone
The Inside Room lineup:
Patrick Walker / Vocals and Guitars
Christian Leitch / Drums and Percussion
William Spong / Bass Guitar and Percussion
“Wider than the Sky” comprises of six beautiful songs that speak to the very essence of humanity and delves below the surface of relationships and sadness and loss.
The weight of “Wider than the Sky” is executed in a different way than it would have been in Walker’s previous band, Warning. Where the electric buzz of the guitar or the crunchiness of the bass would have created the atmosphere for the seminal Doom band, 40 Watt Sun use words and experience to create an aura of loss, yet, there’s pale hope etched across the songs on this record. It’s true that the words echo with melancholy, but the beats in “Another Room” hold a little brightness and while the resonant guitars in “Pictures” spin walls of sentiment, Walker’s voice is lifted from its previous lows to allow subtle moments of optimism to filter through.
“Wider than the Sky” is a record that will stay with you long after the closing chords of “Marazion” ring out. It’s an affecting listen and one that can appeal to fans of Doom and “singer/songwriter” types alike. It’s a much sparser, stripped back affair compared to “The Inside Room,” but 40 Watt Sun lose none of their command. Instead, Patrick’s voice is pushed to the forefront and his scars are bared for all to hear and to experience. It’s a record that will speak to anyone who has suffered heartbreak and while you may finish the album in tears, it’s a necessary catharsis. Wider than the Sky is a beautiful presentation of honesty, dreams, sadness and passion, and 40 Watt Sun are a band to be engulfed by.
The vibe and atmosphere this creation provides is very solemn and thought provoking which instantly makes you feel a connection to the music as it effortlessly absorbs into your bloodstream. Despite the guitars being particularly restrained and unassuming they are still very vibrant and provide an expressive accompaniment to the melancholy vocal sentiments.
Pre-order the album here: https://www.svartrecords.com/en/product/40-watt-sun-wider-than-the-sky
Tracklist:
- Stages
- Beyond You
- Another Room
- Pictures
- Craven Road
- Marazion