More noisy, psychedelic post-rock from Souvenirs Young America
While not shockingly innovative, Souvenir's Young America's self-titled debut was unique and showed that post-rock still had some new bands with new ideas. They complimented the standard framework of atmospheric instrumentals based around the rise and release of tension with hypnotizing tribal drumming, psychedelic rock style keyboards, non-synthesized strings and wind instruments, and guitars that could be chunky or mournful depending on the song's need. Most importantly, they displayed an ear for gripping melodies and riffs, which means they could extend a quiet section ad nauseum and it would still hold my attention without needing to rely on an explosive volume shift.
Musically, An Ocean Without Water continues to explore a similar vein. Red Sparowes guitar flirts with a harmonica over top of Acid Mothers Temple psychedelics and hypnotizing rhythms on the opener "Mars Ascendant", with the harmonica re-appearing two or three times over the course of the album. The band cites author Cormac McCarthy as an influence so its gratifying to hear "Dark as the Night Cold as the Ground", which evokes imagery of a lone survivor after a battle making his way among the dead with its weepy guitar solo and background noises. And it's not alone in sounding like the soundtrack to a trippy Western movie.
The way the album is produced is quite strange. The low-end flows from your speakers as though the music has taught your subwoofer how to unleash tidal waves, and perhaps because of this the guitar and drum sound's flat unless you crank the volume to mind-engulfing levels. The volume shifts also aren't quite as loud as many other bands. Perhaps it serves as a testament to the substance of Souvenir's Young America's music that they manage to be just as entrancing as bands who's songs start as a speck and build up to an explosion without relying on that post-rock formula. A couple of songs on An Ocean Without Water fall flat, but overall it should hook some fans of Explosions in the Sky/Red Sparowes/Pelican style instrumental music, especially those who have thought those bands could use a tinge of 70s psychedelic rock.
| Reviewer: Jeff Mcquiggan Added: August 13th 2007 |
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