Winters in Glasgow normally end up with rows and rows of single glazed windows desperately cling-filmed over to keep any possible heat in.
The whole thing is a bleak prospect, but Tall In Estonia is here to drag us out of our blues and remind us just how darn beautiful things can be if you see them in the right way.
This EP comes out with an air of mystery; there is a crafty pun – ‘Tall in Estonia’ = Tallinn, Estonia (the capital city) – plus a Soundcloud bio that reads “spent three weeks of life in Estonia, came back changed”.
What’s the big secret then?
The EP is scarce on vocals – except the murky use of what sounds like a deep relaxation tape towards the end of second track ‘Cultural Sundays’ – so we have little more to go on than that some awakening experience in Estonia touched on the profound.
To think about the record in terms of a transformation explains the content of the music – opener ’18:03′ begins unassumingly then crescendos in a stripped form, free of distortion and closer ‘Algal Towers’ moves with ease from tension to a wash of spiraling guitar.
This same transformative power is mirrored in the overall feeling of positive energy you get from each track on the EP; we must assume that Tall In Estonia is sharing with the listeners an experience that opened the eyes to beauty.
The message is forget Donald Trump, forget Brexit and focus on what’s good.
This wide-eyed wonder at the world is something that Tall In Estonia shares with other artists working in the ambient field; seeing music as a spiritual experience and more than just a racket to spill beer and winch to (not as if there’s anything wrong with that though).
‘The Richest Couple in Hollywood’ is the most energetic track and shares an exuberance and tonal affinity with Aphex Twin’s Richard D James album; it is pure Zen.
A sweep of distinctly Nordic ambience also passes through the album – the works of Icelandic Jonsi and Alex and Finnish Circle in particular.
Perhaps something within the nature of the Northern experience itself affiliates Glasgow with Estonia; a certain kind of light provoking a particular form of introspectively and reflection in music.
Tall In Estonia wants us to remember the important things in life as the days begin to fade again.
Either that, or maybe Estonia is just really really nice.
Words: Tom Wilson
