Review Summary: Err, what happened to the song titles?
It’s difficult for a post-rock band to stand out these days. This is a genre notoriously over saturated yet still capable of producing more than its fair share of gems. One of these gems is Red Sparowes, whom, perhaps unfairly, are probably best known for having featured members of Isis and Neurosis among their ranks. For those familiar with their catalogue they are also well known for their incredibly long song titles (e.g. “Finally, As That Blazing Sun Shone Down Upon Us, Did We Know That True Enemy Was the Voice of Blind Idolatry; and Only Then Did We Begin to Think for Ourselves”). Incredibly long
and fairly annoying it is fair to say. At first glance then, the fact that this new record by the band has the longest album title in the quintet’s history perhaps does not bode well. However this is an album populated with perfectly reasonable titles; “A Swarm” or “In Every Mind” for example.
Now it may not matter to you how long the song titles are. You may, quite correctly of course, take the view that a ridiculously long title is not going to deter you from listening to music you like. But it is important to this record, if only as a sign that this is a band that has evolved. Whilst the two albums preceding this were post-rock of a perfectly acceptable standard there was always the feeling that there was an explosion of consistent quality on the horizon and this record is it. It isn’t life-changing, nor is it scene-changing (which would perhaps be more impressive) but it does show a group of musicians who have trimmed off the fat from previous releases to create a more cohesive and more enjoyable whole. Whereas in the past a Red Sparowes song was almost certain to overstay its welcome, now each song is perfectly contained within itself and no shorter nor longer than it needs to be. This is an album that varies from groovy bass (“A Mutiny”) to head bang worthy riffs (“A Hail of Bombs”) without difficulty or any sense of cliché. Throughout the musicianship is of a fine standard with the bass lines not just holding songs together but often taking them to a completely new level whilst the guitars are solid yet always wonderfully textured at the same time, giving songs such as closer “As Each End Looms and Subsides” the truly epic feel they deserve.
This is surely going to end up as the best post-rock album of the year. It may well be the only one that cunningly avoids some the most notorious traps of the genre with its cleanly presented, sleek songs and the quality of the songwriting is in no doubt either; each song flows perfectly naturally and, most refreshingly, no song leaves you underwhelmed due to length or repetitiveness. If you have totally lost faith in post-rock, have given up on the genre, then perhaps you should buy this album. It might just give you hope again.
