Review Summary: A wonderful, fun album that combines the youthful exuberence of math rock and the more introspective moods of post rock successfully.
By the End of Tonight is a band I came to at a strange point in my life. It was my final year of high school, in a new school and a new state, and I was facing the typical struggles of anyone in that situation. With little social interaction to occupy my time, I clung to my music. It was my companion at the those lonely lunchs and long walks home. The moments when I didn't have those little white buds in my ears were few and far between. When I was home, I immeresed myself in finding more bands, more genres, more branchs of the muscial tree that I had yet to discover. Those that I found during that year will always hold a special place in my heart, as the result of a near-ridiculous amount of repeated listens and their ability to help ease my way through a challenging time.
By the End of Tonight was one of those bands. They were the perfect mix of sullen post rock build up and fast, fun math rock technicality. They could reflect my mood at any given time, likely in the span of one song. Take for example the opener, "4's, 5's, and The Piano That Never Made It Home". Beginning with a quiet bassline, slowly and slowly different layers of instruments enter, building up the melody. Its both sad and optimistic sounding, with mood changing based on the backing chords of the guitar. At that time in my life, 3 years ago, it perfectly fit my feeling of optimism towards my future beyond high school but also my melancholy at the friends I'd left behind with each consceutive move. And still today, I can listen to this record and apply some sort of current feeling to it. Despite the sometimes limited emotional scope of instrumental music, and especially that of math rock, By the End of Tonight had transcended it with this record.
Later on in "4's, 5's, and The Piano That Never Made It Home", the song jumps to more upbeat riffs and then back down to the quiet opening notes before ending. Its this diversity of sound that makes each song such a journey. "Stop, Drop And Roll Does Not Work In Hell", the second song, is even more electic with its styling and structuring, beginning with jazz chords and chanted vocals and moving on to discordant hardcore, a seemingly distasteful mix. But it all manages to feel uniform and smooth, each tranisition execuated perfectly and every part just seeming right despite the contrast in styles. The difference between this band and say, Between the Buried and Me,is that this mix of taste and genre does not seem forced and contrived. There isn't a hint of humor in the addition of jazz to a song, or the inclusion of an almost funk like riff. I don't think at any point the band sat down and said "We need a jazz part in this song".
The songs "Setting Sail In April" and "7:30 Easter Morning" follow the same pattern of chaos and peace, juxtaposing the quiet, clean sections with harsher passages in a suprisingly fluid manner. The song "Tigers" stands out as a rather repitive song, following the same drum pattern and melody throughout. Its inclusion is odd, compared to the surrounding songs, but is effective regardless.
The album is not without its issues though, mostly related to the recording and mixing of the record. Drums can overpower and guitar can drown out bass, but in the end these are minor gripes when the music is so good. Each song is an adventure, taking you through post rock peaks and harsher, distorted valleys. But each song is also a canvas, readily available to paint your emotions upon. I encourage you to try.