Island Moons – “Slumber Sail” [Song Review]

Singer-songwriter Island Moons, aka Brandon Samuel Harwood, unveils his new single/lyric video, “Slumber Sail,” a track from his upcoming debut long player, Dreambell.

Speaking about the song, Island Moons says, “It began as a lullaby in fact, and it started as a gentle chord progression in a fingerpicking style. After adding a synthesizer, Mellotron strings, and piano, it became a quasi-psychedelic journey into the deep ocean of the night. The lyrics paint the picture of letting the day slip away as one crosses an invisible bridge into the nocturnal world of dreams and slumber – a mysterious voyage indeed.”

Originally from Silver Spring, MD, for a couple of decades, Brandon’s efforts as a performer and recording artist took various names and approaches. Then, during the pandemic, alone in the night on a deserted NYC street, he experienced a surge of creativity. He began to sing with a fresh voice.

Taking his songs into the studio in upstate NY, he came across an unpublished manuscript by William Blake during the recording session. His artist’s name and identity were borrowed from Blake’s text.

“Slumber Sail” travels on shimmering, chiming colours, riding a drifting melody atop a mid-tempo rhythm as Island Moon’s dreamy voice imbues the lyrics with warm, pensive timbres. Reminiscent of stripped-down Pink Floyd merged with Cat Stevens, the tune takes listeners on a gliding, hypnotic journey to another dimension.

Sighing with soft, floating filaments, “Slumber Sail” offers serene layers of music coated in enchanting textures.

Island Moons

Run Time: 3:10
Release Date: May 19, 2023
Record Label: Mistwood Music