The album begins with more distortion than we are used to previously. Cacophony screeches into full bloom at the inception of the first track, “The Birth and the Death of Day”. We are then struck by a tender melody gliding smoothly across electric strings, the steady galloping of drums, a crescendo sending the heart thumping and head banging, the sound oscillating between tragic thunder and glimmering hope. This is indeed a successful recipe for an Explosions in the Sky record. Fortunately for their fans, there is enough progression to sustain the excitement and not wear out the novelty just yet.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this latest album from the Austin quartet would be redundant. They definitely have a methodology to their music, so can they keep listeners pleased with their fourth full-length album of post-rock instrumentals? The answer is yes.
The latest round of arrangements are more rich and complex, possibly due to the help of renowned producer John Coggleton (The Roots, The Mountain Goats, etc.) It’s more of the same, but with just enough evolution and deviation to keep us wanting more from the four Texans. “It’s Natural to be Afraid” and “Catastrophe and the Cure” are the elongated 7 and 13 minute tracks we love from Explosions, this time requiring even more patience before the tracks completely envelope and unravel into ultraviolet radiance.
I see an image of a marching band strutting in unison, slow motion across a battlefield. They are of Union nature, unfazed by the combative movement of the Confederacy, as musket shots are fired and stream through the marchers’ bodies. Bloodshed encapsulates the scene, but the drummer doesn’t stop pounding and leading his regiment. This is a scene that’s been painted for me by this opus.
A friend of mine once said that Explosions in the Sky are “the perfect soundtrack to any journey. Tuning into them on a mundane trip to the corner store transforms itself into an epic odyssey.” They certainly continue this feat on their latest, “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone.” Solace is brought and aesthetics are discovered during these cold winter days, struggling to make ends meet in the city. Explosions are singing, my hands are in my pockets, face ducking behind my scarf seeking to shield the winter claw. This music is the antidote and complement to this beautiful season.