Review Summary: Our lives may be forgettable, but this album is far from it.
In 2011, following the release of his debut full-length
Senjyu the year prior, Cyclamen’s brain Hayato Imanishi began a solo project dedicated the post-rock material he began to display on that record. “Hope”, “Devoid”, and its title track all showcased slow-moving, atmospheric, emotionally intense and climactic styles that separated them, often jarringly, from the rest of the album’s quick-paced progressive metal fretwankery. It was a critique often made about a record that in all other aspects showed Imanishi had a lot of potential, if only he could rein himself in a bit. Since then, Cyclamen has taken off, skyrocketed by a slow but steady spread of success for the group’s debut and their follow-up
Ashura, which took a notable step in a more consistently progressive metal direction. Completely overlooked during this period was the quiet release of that debut record from Imanishi’s post-rock project, and what a shame that is, considering it, rather unexpectedly, is without a doubt one of post-rock’s finest albums in years.
It’s worth noting off the bat here that though Withyouathome started as a solo project, members were quickly acquired from Bangkok to Belfast to perform with Imanishi, and while I’m not clear if they had a hand in the songwriting process, it wouldn’t surprise me if the record was, much like with Cyclamen, a masterwork primarily pioneered by its initial creator. The production takes a step away from the noisy crispness of Cyclamen and takes comfort in pools of acutely-implemented reverberation and delay. “Solar” is a spectacular “proper” opener after a short introductory track, building to a climax that instead of exploding into a frenzy of tremolo and distortion simply changes melody, nonetheless causing the listener’s jaw to drop, speechless and awed. Withyouathome aren’t a one-trick pony either; though “Solar” sets a fair precedent for the songs to come on the first half, “You Are Never Alone Here” bursts out of the speakers at its peak with a climax not unlike that of your typical post-rock group…just so much better. “Quietly” takes a plucky jaunt down a completely different road before the tour-de-force closing duo of “Scaffolding The Skyline” and “Lunar” pop up, the former of which is, in a manner unlike the rest of the album, a cathartic punch to the face right from the get-go, and the latter of which is a track reliant on building slowly, meticulously calculated until the song gets so grand that it has no choice left but to collapse in on itself before fading to dust.
If you’re a fan of Imanishi’s falsetto, you’ll find yourself comfortably at home (pun intended) throughout the entire record. What he lacks in vocal diversity on this offering is made up for by a strong emphasis on and memorable execution of fantastic songwriting, even if that means he doesn’t stay glued to the mic the whole time. Much like MONO, Imanishi doesn’t set out to change the face or game of post-rock, but he effectively makes the most of the genre’s key features and mixes in a perfect balance of ambiance to create a stunning, gorgeous, and cozy atmosphere that bathes in its splendor, whether calm and subtle or loud and forefronted, without ever disengaging the listener. It’s not pretentious or silly that their influences are - and I quote from their official Facebook page – “you” and “home”. The overall feeling brought forth on
Our Lives Are All Very Forgettable Events… is one of intense emotion, and for a welcome change of pace in the post-rock scene, it’s not depressing or soul-numbing emotion.
Our Lives... revels in its own joy, and it’s honestly hard to avoid getting swept along for the ride.
And when I say that, please, do your best to take me at my word. Sometimes it’s easy to pass off on post-rock that doesn’t cater to exploring the deepest crevices of the heartbroken’s soul, but by nature Withyouathome avoid doing so in the most goddamn genuinely tender manner possible, even when it gets loud. It’s music for the broken not because it allows you to extend brokenness to others, but to help you mend it. It doesn’t ask tough questions, but lets you know that it’s there to aid you when you need to cope with the blunt world in which we live. That’s the real charm. The very title
Our Lives Are All Very Forgettable Events In The Universe states without any sugarcoating that we are all small in the grand scheme of things, but sometimes the most miniscule of objects can make the largest impacts, and without a doubt, Withyouathome have proven that they’re capable and willing to pull off doing so. What’s the point in worrying about them anyway?
