Review Summary: With this album, Explosions in the Sky are both comfortable in their well-practiced style and willing to add in some new elements to the mix. The result is what one would expect, but it's also quite good.
As surely as the crescendoes rise, the diminuendos will fall.
If there's one sentence that best sums up Texas post-rock outfit Explosions in the Sky, that'd be it. Ever since the band's inception, they, more than any other post-rock band, have focused heavily on loud/soft dynamics and all of the tranquil moments in between. The band's 2001 outing, "Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever", in this critic's opinion the band's strongest outing, was the first refinement of the band's now signature sound; the album's moments of loud, bursting crescendoes followed by moments of tranquil, serene strumming would serve as the blueprint for every album that followed. The band's most cohesive album, 2003's "The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place", set in motion what now seems to the be the blueprint for Explosions in the Sky records: as opposed to individual songs that stick out, the album as a whole is the emphasis. In effect, the band's studio recordings are much like symphonies, comprised of multiple movements that, while retaining different passages throughout each song, altogether fall under a single sound. The band's ability to create tri-guitar harmony is always impeccable, and, for the most part, has succeeded in creating some very good "post-rock symphonies."
One complaint raised against the band, and indeed much of post-rock, is that after awhile, the loud/soft dynamics tend to wear out, as does the music that, while sometimes serving as "imaginary film music," sometimes begs for vocals, or something to differentiate the music from past recordings. The band haven't released too many recordings, but it's easy to see why this critique is raised against the band. While their albums have varied in moods ("The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place" was optimistic, 2007's "All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone" sounded of melancholy nostalgia), overall the sonic blueprint of the band's music has remained largely the same. Songs that start out big slow down, only to explode toward the song's end. Moodier, slower songs have furious, passionate bursts of drumming obliterate the song's mood. After a few albums, that particular formula is bound to wear thin. With this record, four years since the band's last recording, some have hoped that the band would change things up a bit from the typical game plan. For the most part, it seems, the band is still up to their typical stuff, although there are a few surprises here and there.
The mood of this album is hard to describe; ultimately, it's up to the viewer's particular state of emotion to determine. Whereas past albums made it obvious ("Those Who Tell the Truth" was plainly morose, just as "Cold Dead Place" was sanguine), this album's mood is somewhere in between. One could see the record as a confident, uplifting record (evident by the powerfully strummed chords that open "Last Known Surroundings"), while others might view it as a more contemplative, introspective piece (the quiet moments on "Human Qualities" and "Be Comfortable, Creature"). This is one area where the album subtly improves over past recordings; while the nature of instrumental music often means that one can read into a song any number of interpretations, this album has the ability to equally fit any number of emotive states, more so than the band's prior recordings. One of the many amazing abilities post-rock has is to soundtrack the moments of our lives that we didn't even know could have music to. It is a very subjective thing, but sometimes a song hits the spot just right.
As for the actual music itself, there are a few new things here. The most obvious are the vocals on "Trembling Hands," although the band has hardly become a vocal group; there's no actual lyrics, and the vocals don't dominate the song. They mesh in with the the rest of the instruments equally, which is probably the best thing the band could have done. It'd be risky for a band like Explosions to add vocals to the top of the mix, so it's fortunate that they haven't totally kicked out their typical formula and gone for a vocal-driven approach. The band may need to change up their style somewhat to avoid stagnancy, but reinventing the wheel is probably not the way to go about it.
The other additions, overall, are minor and in most cases expand on the band's already present sonic palate. There's some handclaps and hand percussion on "Human Qualities," which are a very nice touch. Furthermore, in "Human Qualities" and "Be Comfortable, Creature," the moments of silence actually play on for quite some time. They develop for the sake of themselves, not just for building up into a grand sonic burst. "Qualities" is particularly surprising; at first, it sounds like it's going to do what you'd expect it do to: explode at any given second. But no, the song actually pans out for quite sometime, until, of course, coming to a grand conclusion with a requisite crescendo. It's refreshing to hear the band explore the space in between the quiet introduction and the thunderingly loud conclusion; it shows that the band is progressing, and quite well at that.
Ultimately, though, the band is still in familiar territory. The emphasis on dynamics is still here, although the band has given themselves plenty of space for other exploration. Some might lament that the band isn't being "innovative" enough to distinguish this record from past ones, but, in the end, it's good that the band is still sticking to their guns. Explosions in the Sky are very good at making emotive, dynamic post-rock, and they should probably keep making more of it. "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care" is the perfect progression for the band; they've spiced up their sound successfully, and it's proof that the band isn't a one-trick pony. Instead of changing the game, they've taken a highly successful formula and made it fresh. The record may not be as good as "Those Who Tell the Truth" or "Cold Dead Place" (seems to be the post-rock curse; most hold that Mogwai have yet to top "Young Team"), but a record stands or falls by its own merits, and this one stands firmly. It's a fine record, showing a band ever comfortable in their excellent work while also succeeding in changing a few things up. Things are looking up for these Explosions.
