Review Summary: Beauty in a nutshell...
I will never forget something a girl said in my senior year math class. However, it was not because it was something intelligent and insightful. It was ludicrous and senseless. One of my best friends asked the teacher to put on Explosions In The Sky while we worked on our worksheets and she said yes. It was the first time I ever listened to this glorious band. While we were listening, this girl noticed that there were no lyrics and said that if the song has no lyrics then it is not a song. Not only was that a completely mindless statement, songs that contain no lyrics can sometimes tell a story even more than songs with lyrics can.
The opener "First Breath After Coma" could literally symbolize someone waking up and taking their first breath after a coma. The ambient sounds in the beginning are your eyes opening and when the guitar comes in, you spot your family. As the song builds and crescendos you begin to feel the love of everyone around you. The song has quite a story to tell without a vocalist ever muttering even one word in it. You get engulfed in the many sounds and guitars and impressive drumming. The musicianship is never fails to disappoint on this record.
You feel many emotions when listening to The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place. As the album title suggests, the five works of art on this album try to tell you that. “The Only Moment We Were Alone” is the part in the story that recalls emotions of love and contentment when you are alone with the person you love. You feel empowered when listening to “Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean” because as the music fills your head, you actually feel like you are trapped down at the bottom of the deep ocean. The song has a serene and touching nature that actually symbolizes the beauty of the deep depths of the ocean. You feel the sadness on the album when listening to “Memorial” and I could see it being played at an actual memorial. “Your Hand In Mine” is the highlight of the album and the perfect song to end on. It also symbolizes love as if someone is giving their vows at a wedding.
I’ve never cried while listening to a song before, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t say that I came close on this masterful record. It’s powerful, sad, empowering, and gives you a strange feeling of contentment I’ve never felt while listening to music. This masterpiece of post rock is the perfect example of how songs do not need lyrics to tell a story. Do yourself a favor: buy this album, grab your ipod, and go for a long walk doing the sunset. Experience beauty in a nutshell.
