IT WILL always be in an artist's vision to take their audiences on a journey of sorts. Painters, authors, musicians and poets all cradle the primacy of story-telling and hope to leave a lasting impression on all those willing to give their attention.

Man of Moon are advocates of this ideal and their debut album is a sonic voyage from start to finish.

But instead of being taken on some fantastic adventure, where each chapter is a series of external obstacles, Dark Sea is cerebral and introspective. The journey is one of contemplation and of self-examination – it is, perhaps, less of admiring the rolling scenery from the safety of a cushioned seat, and more of taking a moment to trace the path carved by a bead of condensation as it trickles down the window outside.

Of course, in the literary sense, Dark Sea is a story of sorts – with a beginning, middle and end – and all are signposted clearly for the listener. It is awash with aquatic references and is accentuated by the ebb and flow of each track.

"We wanted the listener to feel a sort of sense of journey from the beginning of the album to the end," singer and guitarist Chris Bainbridge tells The Weekender.

"[It's] something that we have tried to do when writing music and playing shows – to take the listener on a kind of journey. We think about it a lot when planning our set for live gigs, the flow of the songs and how to start and end, so we wanted to replicate that with the album.

"We knew we wanted it to start in an intense way so that the listener was filled with energy and felt as though they were beginning a journey.

"I love listening to music when I'm travelling, in particular when I'm on a train because you can really just zone out and think about the songs, so this was always something that I, kind of, thought about and imagined someone travelling while listening to it so wanted the flow to suit that."

"Similar in the way that a journey can feel exciting at the beginning – bright and full of energy – and then maybe as the journey goes on you start to have some more deeper thoughts and things feel as though they slow down slightly."

"The 'highs and lows' of the album were definitely intentional," he adds. "We both really like to use dynamics in order to create a sense of atmosphere and it helps lock you in a bit more as a listener and makes it interesting.

"I think Dark Sea is a good album to travel to as it starts quite psych-ish and Krautrock-y and has quite a pace at the beginning and then slows down slightly and gets more deep and a bit darker towards the end."

The record kicks off strong with a three-minute intro track before the listener embarks in earnest via Rust and Strangers.

We both wanted our first album to be a good body of work so didn't want to rush anything. Some of the tracks that are on the album we have been sitting on or playing for a few years and others were written a couple of years ago."

Indeed, the latter should be familiar to Man of Moon fans as it was released as a single along with Rust and, most recently, When We Were Young.

Dark Sea is also centred by impressive tracks such as Silver Linings and Interlude, before rounding off with Ride the Waves and Coming Back – an apt title for the album closer, considering the journey theme throughout.

Bainbridge continues: "We have always known that we wanted Interlude to finish side one; we're not fully sure why, but we knew it would really work as a sort of middle point, so in a sense it was easy to place that track.

"Coming Back is the last track on the album and it was, actually, the last song to be written for the album, so it felt right having it as an ender. The lyrics I feel are almost a reflection on the rest of the album's thoughts and the energy of the track really suits being at the end as an almost sort of comedown."

Dark Sea is due for release on Friday, September 25, though Bainbridge admits that excitement has been rising since recording took place – more than 18 months ago.

He recalls: "It's taken a long time for us to get to the point of actually releasing the album. We recorded the album last January, in 2019. We have had a few setbacks along the way which have meant that things were delayed.

"We both wanted our first album to be a good body of work so didn't want to rush anything. Some of the tracks that are on the album we have been sitting on or playing for a few years and others were written a couple of years ago.

With the album now four weeks away, the singer reflects: "It's a strange mix of excitement and an almost nervous anticipation really. We are super excited for our fans to finally be able to hear the album and for us to actually be able to hold the album in our hands and be like: 'I made this'.

"But I feel there is a certain amount of pressure that comes with recording a debut and wanting it to be a good representation of your work. I'm excited for our fans to hear it and see what they think and hear which tracks are their favourite but also wonder how people will react to the album.

"It's a similar feeling you get before going on stage, when you're just about to go on and you're getting hyped to play, but also slightly nervous for how it will go."

It is clear that fans of the band will be well-catered for, as will all those who enjoy listening to an album from start to finish. What is also clear is the level of detail both Bainbridge and bandmate Michael Reid have put into the material. Indeed, the singer pours his heart and soul into the writing and that level of raw honesty has provided a necessary edge to the work.

Bainbridge says: "I think the listener can expect a mixture of dynamics and emotions throughout the album. Through the lyrics, I talk about some fairly heavy, personal thoughts and feelings that I have had over the past few years but then they're also moments of real euphoria I think that gives a real sense of excitement and hope.

"I personally enjoy our darker-sounding tracks and the ones that feel slightly more intense. One of my favourite tracks on the album is Interlude because of the way it's so sparse and minimal at first and then drops into a big wall of guitar and drums that is in total contrast with the start.

"There is also a song on the album called Coming Back which I am excited for people to hear as it shows the much slower, melodic side to our sound."

He continues: "It's not a concept album; it's definitely more of a thematic album. The lyrics and the emotions expressed in the songs I think tie the tracks together. On this album, I've spoken about personal thoughts and feelings of myself and those close to me."

The importance of transporting listeners appears to be of huge importance to Man of Moon and they are certainly capable of creating a dense and mystifying world to explore, if only for ten tracks.

As intended, the album itself would be an ideal soundtrack to break-up a monotonous trip or commute. So, while it remains the case that artists will strive to take their audiences on a journey – many travellers would do well to take Dark Sea with them on their next journey.

Man of Moon will play a series of dates in the new year, including shows in Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow in February. Visit manofmoon.net/tour for more details.

LISTEN: Man of Moon - Dark Sea