 This
Is a Process of Still Life
Self-titled CD
Firefly
Sessions
Genres: instrumental rock
Firefly Sessions
P.O. Box 5869
Missoula, MT 59806
Nov 15 - 21 2004 |
Instrumental rock suffers a rather cruel fate. As elaborate or
passionate as it is, few wordless "pop" records are ever
embraced by the majority. Only a small portion of the musical
community is interested in the genre, with Mogwai and Godspeed
You Black Emperor! being among the few to ever achieve any major
recognition. This is a major injustice, of course - clearly,
many excellent releases have been free of vocals - but sometimes
that's simply the way the world of underground music goes. This Is a Process of Still Life hail from Missoula, Montana,
where they came together in mid-2003. Influenced as much by Tortoise
as by GYBE! and Mogwai, the band performs passionate,
guitar-led instrumentals that waver between heartbreaking rock and
sweet sensitivity. Their self-titled debut (also the first
release for the new Firefly Sessions label) is a delicious selection
of explosive peaks and meandering pathways. At times it feels as
if the world is crumbling; at other moments, it's twilight outside and
everything is wonderful. The majority of the disc is pretty
relaxed (or, in the case of, "Skywriting Over Virginia,"
heart-wrenchingly sorrowful), but this only makes the climaxes more
powerful and moving. When the listener comes to the final,
blissful minutes of "Things/Cells/Beings," everything just
feels right in the world.
If anything, this is an album for evenings in dimly-lit rooms with
people you love. I've heard music like it, but that doesn't make
it any less enjoyable.
86%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
7 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |
