Grails - Chalice Hymnal

Six years after Deep Politics, Grails returned in 2017 with Chalice Hymnal, their seventh album and one of their most expansive. The core trio of Emil Amos, Alex John Hall and Zak Riles folded everything they had absorbed in the interim into eleven tracks: psychedelic rock, library music, soundtrack drama, smoky jazz and hip-hop-inflected beat work.

Saxophones from Niklas Kraft and Daniel Fisher-Lochhead and string arrangements from longtime collaborator Timba Harris give the record a rich, nocturnal glow. The title track opens with slow-burning grandeur, "Deeper Politics" nods back to its predecessor, "New Prague" and "Tough Guy" swagger like lost crime-film cues, and the closing "After The Funeral" is among the most affecting pieces the band has written. Amos also mixed the record, playing drums, guitars, bass, keys and MPC along the way.

It was welcomed as a triumphant return and stands as a great entry point for newer listeners.

Presented as a 2LP set on black vinyl.