Pelican opt to be a bit more direct on City of Echoes
When a band establishes itself in the music industry, one could say that they tend to kick back a bit: creativity is put on cruise control, success and a solid fan-base become worries of the past. Whether or not this statement is true is not the focus of this article, though it can be argued that Pelican have achieved a fair amount of success, especially after the Chicago natives’ Australasia and The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw were so well-received, and garnished a fair amount of commercial success. This fact notwithstanding, the members of Pelican release their third full-length release to anticipating fans and critics alike…The results? Rest assured, as the artsy post-metal instrumentalists have again created a very solid album with City of Echoes, although it is one that could leave fans of their earlier work feeling slightly alienated.
Upon first listen, it becomes immediately apparent that the guys in Pelican intend to be a bit more direct on this release. Gone are the wistful, building intros found on aforementioned releases Australasia and The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw. Instead, the fickle quartet begin and end each of the eight songs on City of Echoes with simple, solid riffing. Whereas The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw contained songs as long as ten and eleven minutes, the longest song on City of Echoes is just a smidge over seven minutes (the upbeat title track “City of Echoes). At about the halfway point, the guys throw in an acoustic intermezzo that adds a melancholic urgency that surges and retreats with each song to the album’s close.
As The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw seemed to have nature and season based themes (“Last Day of Winter”, “Autumn Into Summer”, “Aurora Borealis”), City of Echoes contains overt themes of urbanization and isolation with song titles such as “Bliss In Concrete”, “Far From Fields”, and “Dead Between Walls” and songs that are to-the-point with little-to-no droning ambient interplay. While the sylistic shift is noticeable, the core of Pelican’s music is still readily evident—dense, down-tuned metal riffing. The end result is an album where, unlike previous releases, repetition rides shotgun to let more concentrated intensity take the wheel, delivering a faster version of their characteristic droning, dense melodies.
While the new Pelican seems to be leaning toward a more concert-friendly entity (stated in fact by guitarist Laurent Lebec in an on-line interview with Vh1) with faster, more driving songs, one can’t help but feel an ever-so-slight disappointment at album’s close. Not because City of Echoes is a comparatively weak release, but because the subtle nuances and hidden surprises found with repeat listens of earlier albums are gone, replaced by the most accessible Pelican yet. Is this bad? Not necessarily…In fact, I would imagine this release probably expands their fanbase more than ever before. Again, is this bad? Fans of older material must simply strap on the headphones, take the new Pelican for a test flight and decide for themselves.
| Reviewer: Chris Hodge Added: May 31st 2007 |
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