Vessels
White Fields and Open Devices
Cuckundoo (2008)
Post-rock is a peculiar beast; it's seemingly very difficult to achieve a unique sound in the field, especially after the pioneers managed to diversify into a set of forerunners creating the inevitable chorus of copyists. Given that the only two real distinctions of the genre are a generally low use of vocals and the abandoning of a typical verse/chorus structure, it is surprising that there isn't more variety on offer. It's always hard to distinguish between acknowledged influences, unconscious ones, and genuine coincidence in innovation, but Vessels pull so much into a melting pot with this one it can be overwhelming, not to say confusing. Abandoning a typical atmospheric progression to form a body of work where individualistic tunes are carried to the fore, this merit is also the greatest flaw there is so much subtle variation here that sometimes it feels like a pick and mix collection rather than a coherent whole. The day of the album as an organism in and of itself seems to have long since passed, however. Nowadays it's all about the song and the career. Everything in-between is just detail. And it would be churlish to lambast a band for introducing some dynamism, so … Read more
The Wayward
Overexposure
Magic Bullet (2008)
Overexposure should be listened to with a) an instrument in hand, b) a beer in hand/several beers in your stomach, … Read more
Day Without Dawn
Understanding Consequences
Fallen Empire (2008)
I remember The Postman Syndrome; their lone full-length, Terraforming is a hidden gem chock full of references to the landmark … Read more
Bridge and Tunnel
East/West
No Idea (2008)
If there has ever been a band that you would expect to be on No Idea Records that doesn't feature … Read more
