Even after 15 years, Arms and Sleepers are still hitting their stride -- or perhaps just nestling into their niche -- with an album that leans into their ambient side. Safe Area Earth lands during a particularly prolific period in their game; as such it could be dismissed as a collection of short vignettes, but the particularly languid runtime gels well enough to make thematic sense. The airy flow of the record is greatly elevated by their dedication to percussion and rhythm, which have been honed over the years to narrowly avoid sounding tired and uninspired.
After a dual intro of Morse code and radiant soundscapes, the album kicks into gear on "Ruined by Geography," which piles on the layers to form a texturally invigorating highlight. There are sparse vocal performances throughout, mostly in buried samples, although Sofia Insua is given more space on "Leon" for her multi-lingual musings; the song is one of the more soothing cuts on an entire album an exercise in relaxation. The rest of the runtime is ultimately just variations on their established sound, with a notable exception appearing as the album winds down; "Centralia" sounds oddly reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine's "Soon" albeit with smoother, updated production.
Prolific output can often make it hard to create standout releases, but Arms and Sleepers trade in consistently brilliant ideas, of which they have no shortage. Safe Area Earth is yet another example of how they hold the torch for chillout and trip-hop.