You know what makes me feel really good about myself? Post-rock. I'm not talking about the overwrought, nihilistic, dreary stuff (though I do like that too!), but the kind that just brings you up so much that it's quite literally impossible to feel bad about anything while listening to it, the kind of music that forces you to feel happy and enjoy its sublime melodies. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then you're absolutely going to love the new album from Red Room Cinema, 2012's Apsis.
The album may only consist of three epic-length post-rock excursions (the first four tracks are indexed separately despite being part of the same overall song), but don't let that fool you. Clocking in at over forty minutes long, this is not a short album that can be easily dismissed as a mere curiosity. This is truly a fine work to listen to, and exactly as long as it needs to be to convey the band's message.
And what message is that, exactly? Tons and tons of straight-up melodic post-rock, à la sleepmakeswaves and Explosions in the Sky. It's clear that Red Room Cinema aren't out to bust any genre-barriers, but it's also clear that they're out to compete with the best. Though they may not be as explosive or ostentatious as their peers, it's hard not to hear how all of their compositions are immaculately performed and executed with those lofty goals in mind.
The twenty minute title track is clearly the highlight of the album, featuring the band at their most moving as they travel from soft and contemplative to large and formidable--the fourth part in particular, "A Storm of Meteorites", is nothing short of euphoric. As for the other two tracks, "White Arros" is a softer, more contemplative piece; this stands firmly in contrast to the closer "Shadows of a Forgotten City", which starts loud and stays loud up through the end, acting as a fitting climax to the album.
Red Room Cinema aren't presenting anything new or revolutionary with Apsis, but what they are showing is that they know what they want to do and they like doing it. It's hard not to listen to this album and enjoy yourself as much as the band is. If you're a fan of the traditional upbeat post-rock sound, you're going to love Red Room Cinema, and if you haven't gotten into post-rock before, give Apsis a try--it's as friendly and inviting as they come.
Recommended if you like: Explosions in the Sky, Loss of a Child, sleepmakeswaves
