July Skies

July Skies creates a sound that is less like music and more like a collection of half-remembered photographs. It is deeply rooted in a specific brand of British pastoralism, where the beauty of the countryside is inextricably linked with the decay of post-war industry and the ghosts of the 1970s. The sound is defined by shimmering, reverb-drenched guitars that swell and recede like the tide, often accompanied by the crackle of old vinyl or the distant, muffled sounds of a playground.

What truly sets Antony Harding's project apart is the focus on 'hauntology' before the term became a critical cliché. There is a profound sense of loss here, but it is not aggressive or dark. Instead, it is a gentle, persistent ache for a time and place that may have only existed in the idealized artwork of Ladybird books or public information films. The music captures the texture of 'The English Cold' and the warmth of 'Dreaming of Spires' with equal evocative power.

Listeners should start with 'The Weather Clock' to experience the project at its most refined and thematic. It serves as a perfect entry point into a world of pylons, abandoned runways, and the quiet dignity of the British landscape. It is music for those who find beauty in the mundane and the forgotten, providing a soundtrack for solitary walks and deep reflection.