The Declining
Winter, formed by Hood alum Richard Adams, brings
us their second album proper in Haunt the Upper Hallways.
Right from the opening post-rock lulls of the title track,
one can sense the steady influence of acts like Windsor For The
Derby, L'altra, and - of course - Hood. This is
lush, atmospheric rock music - adorned with hushed vocals,
glistening keys, and a respectable strings section.
Expansive would be an
appropriate word to describe the general layout of this record. Adams
employs fairly typical post-rock guitar lines and rhythms, but
builds elaborate architectures around them. The emphasis is not concentrated
on melody, but instead on mood. Consider the urgent strings of "Hey EFD", or the attentive elegance of instrumental "Come on Feel the
Willingness" and "Goodbye Lights LS28." Meanwhile, epic "Carta
Remix" layers a solemn, reverberating trumpet over a bed of
backmasked keys; the effect conjures up images of wistful autumn
evenings.
Although undeniably
elaborate, the charm embedded within Haunt the Upper Hallways
is relatively straightforward in its effect. Adams and The
Declining Winter have crafted a serious and somewhat sombre
record here. Owing to its position in the post-rock canon, it lacks
the immediacy of a hook-centric record, but its carefully
constructed atmosphere is one that can be increasingly appreciated
over time.
[N.B. My copy was
on CD only, but the official version features a three-track 7" with
the full album on bonus CD.]