Review Summary: Do Make Say Think created a perfect three-part suite that was, at the time, their best release to date.
The post rock genre is a skeptical genre. Many believe that it is controlled by a few elite bands and the rest tend to copy off themes and ideas. While some bands may hold true to that, there is a relieving sense felt with the Toronto natives,
Do Make Say Think. They combine jazz style drumming and whimsical guitar, bass and horn work to create a fantastic notion of boldness. Their confidence is present
Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn in which they create a three-part suite of music with different moods encountered with each movement.
Winter Hymn
When listening to this first third of the album there was an eerie mood. After Do Make Say Think’s last album
& Yet & Yet, I had wondered how they would advance their sound further, and to say the least, it did not take long. “Fredericia” dazzles in a delicate manner with movements that flow like the tide. The song starts at a reasonably low volume and marches further and further into a realm of unforeseen events as the dynamics of the song are shifting surreptitiously but making an ever-felt presence. Distorted bass trudges into the song in a fearless manner. “Fredericia” soon spirals upward in a daze of madness and then the empty calm before the storm approaches and erupts for one last surge. This transitions into “War On Want” and it provides a creepy with a trembling string interlude into “Auberge Le Mouton Noir.” While it slowly builds with the same shaky string noise and what sounds like rain onto of a snare drum, “Auberge Le Mouton Noir” is only brewing into pure elegance. As guitar chords chime in, there are abrupt and thunderous chords to follow which lead to the main, simple yet effective, guitar riff. The dual drum effect creates a wave for the instruments to go off into an abysmal plain of majesty. The repeating theme of rain doused on a snare drum continues as it fades into the next movement.
Country Hymn
Once again, the movement is started with awe and serenity. It soon changes, as this second movement out of three is a much brighter and happier but a ferocious atmosphere added to it. As the bass ascends upward, the guitars and drum chime in soon there after in the track “Outer and Inner Secrets.” The bass maintains its individual groove while the guitars change in and out of riffs swiftly. Shortly, a climax begins to build as the instruments begin to briskly crescendo louder and louder and then as fast as it rose, it dissipates quietly. This occurs three times and changes into a different movement of sound and complexity. It continues to swirl and turn dynamics with accompanying horns providing a solid base until it fades out into the next interlude filled with charming guitar work and bright horns. “Ontario Planes,” last song of the movement, has a subtle feel to it; a very relaxing jazzy tune starts the song off with horns chiming in. The song floats along briskly as the horns increase to a blaring forte while humming a tune that was repeated throughout the duration. Pandemonium ensues until the track is over and once again, it becomes tacit.
Secret Hymn
This movement is not secret. It is loud. It conveys a message of sheer power and quirky weirdness. With the initial guitar work and distorted bass, “Horns of a Rabbit” prove and solidify the point that Do Make Say Think are not as ordinary as people believe. They combine noise work from the guitars and picked bass strumming to build up the moderately paced song and soon the sound fizzles and turns out back into the dreary rain into the final song of the final movement. “Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!” begins awkwardly with a twanging type sound with mallet rolls on the cymbals as acoustic guitar enters and carries the melody. The song continues into sort of an electronic jam with multiple effects and noises going on as it brings a sort of anticlimactic feeling to an album that was filled with such huge moments. That is a good thing at the same time, because it somewhat just rides along in a happy and chaotic manner.
When checking out this album as a whole, Do Make Say Think did an amazing job of breaking the album into three specific movements with varying moods. Their song selection was perfect as to whether which song fit in which movement. In addition, while it may feel like a depressing album, it is the perfect album to listen to while it is raining. Regardless, it is a touching and cozy album with new elements and flavors of the post-rock genre.
