Review Summary: I'm glad to know what song to sing when they finally take to sea.
I have never had to go through the hardship of losing a loved one. Imagining the pain of waking every morning, thinking of how there were no goodbyes and the feeling that all your calls would forever be left unanswered, it kills me. I thought of it as an impossibility to be able to empathize with anyone who has gone through that heartache. However, ourfathers. have masterfully created the perfect ode to their loved ones -- sending a resonant chill throughout my being -- and, for a second, I almost felt the pain of that love slipping through my fingers.
Still, to say that I can fully understand the feeling should be taken as an insult. I couldn't possibly be there to pat these guys on the back, and give them that "I'm right there with you, buddy," and whole-heartedly mean it. ourfathers. accomplished what only a handful of their peers have set out to do and ultimately created an EP that brims with raw emotion, completely enveloping the listener. With
Movements, I'm able to sway from emotion to emotion that I've never experienced and get ever so close to the chance of empathy.
ourfathers. convene an unbelievable amount of emotion and packs it into each track on their debut EP, producing much more mature content than expected from their first release. From the heartbreaking lyrical content to the atmospheric build ups and emotional instrumental breaks, the inescapable turmoil follows you. The first track, "XI," builds up to the last forty seconds; therein, a drum-dominant instrumental takes over the song, shimmering down into the last note echoing into the next song. "III" progresses into a soaring guitar lead following the second chorus, flowing into an acoustic break containing gang vocals casually singing along to "We're all alone/We are all alone," ending with a slight pause -- as to ponder on what that truly feels like -- before returning to the former tone of the song. "V" feels like the shoutalong at a concert, as catchy as it is haunting. It's the most accessible and the fastest track to get to the point, structured decently common. It's the most fitting tune to fade into the closer, "VII". "VII" begins with a subtle piano, perfectly pairing with the most evocative yells displayed over the course of the EP as the vocalist seemingly tears his throat to "Fall asleep my love/I won't be here when you wake." "VII" showcases the post-rock side of the band, featuring a beautiful display of their knack for creating a powerful climax: with the music slowly calming down into another acoustic section, the vocalist returns with his plaintive screech "I found my life again/Realized the worth you thought you stole/Finding hope beyond your grasp/I'm chasing lights into the dark."
Along with the quality of their music, the production value maintains the raw essence of the band's message. Despite the beautiful instrumentation, there are moments of harsh basslines and crunchy guitar riffs accompanied by the raw production style they decided to stick with. However, it doesn't subtract from the enjoyment of their twinkly post-rock moments and the vocals are never hidden within the music, yet it boosts the overall feeling they want the album to emit. Although
Movements has a relatively short runtime, the emotional impact gathered from this album will remain intact with you and the overall tragic feel of the album will either keep you coming back for more or entangle you into a prolonged duration with your own thoughts and fears.
As beautiful as it is haunting, ourfathers. have produced an unbelievable EP ripe with emotional lyrics and vocal display, interesting instrumentation and moments of pure heartbreak. If this is any sign of how I'm going to feel when the inevitable finally happens, I'm unsure I'd ever be ready.
