Bristolian art-prog quartet Sans Froid have unleashed something truly special with Hello, Boil Brain, an album that pushes boundaries and captivates from start to finish. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Ben Green at Circadian Studios in Exeter, and mastered by Stephen Kerrison at Weird Jungle, it’s a debut that feels meticulously crafted. We might be a little biased (the band are close mates and part of Bristol’s weird and wonderful underground scene that we hold so dear), but even without that connection, Hello, Boil Brain is an undeniable triumph.
The album opens with “Hello” an eerie, chanted greeting that sets the stage before “Planket” tears through the speakers. It’s a storm of intensity, building up tension with a towering crescendo before spiralling into a dreamy breakdown, only to smash into a thunderous, bass-heavy finale. On “Gammons” the band takes a furious swing at the everyday misogyny faced by women in the UK. With Toby Green’s intricate drumming and Aisling Rhiannon’s commanding vocals, it’s a powerful anthem, brimming with rage and energy, that ends with the call to “Stop that gammon boy with a bullet.”
“Hardware Bruise” changes gears, opening with Aisling’s ethereal voice over delicate piano before morphing into something darker and heavier, full of swirling guitars and glitchy soundscapes courtesy of Charlie Barnes. It’s brooding, with Green’s drumming providing the backbone to a constantly shifting track that keeps you on edge. Then there’s “Split in Two” which brings an almost operatic vibe before transforming into a disco-infused banger. This track alone showcases the band’s ability to weave between genres effortlessly, packed with enough ideas to fill an entire album, while Whiting’s vocals soar through every twist and turn.
“The Still” is pure art-prog magic. It lurches between jagged piano stabs and off-kilter rhythms, only to fall into an expansive, sludgy chorus. More glitchy electronics add texture, but it’s Aisling’s vocal delivery that pulls you in. The track even slips into a meditative moment with the mantra: “Live a simple life, force the busy out, let the labour go, welcome in the calm, take another breath, just engross yourself in the still.”
One of the album’s standout moments is “What’s That Sound” which mixes a bit of Stevie Nicks-esque mystique with the melancholy of Radiohead. The repeated phrase “What’s that sound” swells in the background, with Whiting and Green’s voices intertwining hypnotically. It’s one of the album’s most emotional cuts, driven by haunting melodies and a wailing guitar solo from Barnes that leads the track to its finish. Closing track, “Boil Brain” begins with an ominous, cinematic vibe featuring dark pianos, eerie sirens, and swelling atmospherics which make for a haunting conclusion, before the comes full circle with those familiar “Hello’s” looping you back to the start ready to go again!
Sans Froid have set the bar incredibly high with Hello, Boil Brain. It’s a debut that demands your attention and rewards you for it. Catch them on tour this September — they’re a band you need to experience live.
