Review Summary: 65daysofstatic are at the top of their game on "Silent Running," crafting a visceral and evocative post-rock record that stands as a brilliant moment in their storied career.
Oh how many a post-rock fan has yearned for the once spacy, dramatic, and sensational music of 65daysofstatic. They’ve been somewhat absent you see, gallivanting around with sounds and styles most foreign and peculiar. Why yes, they’ve treated us with the excellent, albeit disjointed
We Were Exploding Anyway, as well as the follow up,
Heavy Sky EP, each record great in its own way. As wonderful as these were, they displayed a different kind of band-a band that found comfort in experimentation, and solace in breaking barriers. They’ve been shedding their post-rock aesthetic ever since their debut,
The Fall of Math, letting an “electronic” sound become predominant, and their rock influences become rare. They’ve always masterfully executed the two styles, but seldom have they ever found a beautiful, cohesive balance. Enter
Silent Running, the perfect realization of everything 65daysofstatic has been working towards, and a fantastic album over all.
Silent Running is the first time in a long time that the members of 65daysofstatic have shown themselves to be at the top of the post-rock food chain. Once heralded as one of the genre’s behemoths, the band has since shied away from the limelight, choosing instead to do their own thing. This album, though, sees them returning to the sound that once captivated an entire music community. It hearkens back to the rocky, explosive feeling of
The Fall of Math, whilst taking cues from the dance-y, more up-beat electronic
We Were Exploding Anyway. It is both beautiful and complex; an album that feels fresh and unique, rather than being steeped in the tepid stew of post-rock conventions.
Yet it isn’t the return to form that makes
Silent Running such an engaging listen, but rather, it is the exceptional performance by the band coupled with the superb songwriting. Once more, 65daysofstatic have shown why they’re one of the best bands around for pertinent builds and climaxes. Never over used, the explosive finales are a treasure, simmering for just the right amount of time before bursting into a torrent of visceral sights and sounds. Few bands really nail it like this, and it’s but one of the many types of captivating moments to be found on
Silent Running.
The album is a suite of sorts, and the songs flow together seamlessly. While there are odd, interlude-like tracks that wear themselves thin, such as “The Scattered Disk,” the majority of
Silent Running is filler free. Surprising, in that is an off the cuff, fan funded soundtrack. Yet the cohesive nature of the album is truly marvelous. The lovely, ambient “Burial Scene” is a perfect way point, while the exuberant and chaotic “Space Montage” serves as one last, explosive discourse. The way the band has implemented the near tired usage of keys is to be commended as well, being a pleasant additive, rather than a flimsy stab at profundity. The electronic elements here are far less sanguine and dance oriented, being used to compliment the already excellent post-rock foundation. They’ve found a very happy medium, and each of the album’s exceptional tracks is all the better for it.
65daysofstatic have had an interesting career to say the least, challenging not only their listeners, but themselves as well. Their latest is an album that is undeniably pure 65daysofstatic; an exceptional outing that sees the band amalgamate everything from their past into one, beautifully presented package. While
Silent Running may not be the most profound statements that the band has ever made, it is certainly one of the most amiable.
