Artiste: And So I Watch You From Afar
Nationality: Irish
Album: All hail bright futures
Year: 2013
Label: Sargeant House
Genre: Post rock
Tracks:
Euonoia
Big thinks do remarkable
Like a mouse
Ambulance
The Stay Golden Pt 1
The Stay Golden Pt 2 (Like rats on a rock)
The Stay Golden Pt 3 (Trails...)
Mend and make safe
Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka
Things amazing
All hail bright futures
Young brave minds
Chronological position: Third album
Familiarity: I liked their debut album; haven't heard anything else from them
Interesting factoid:
Initial impression: Needs more guitars!
Best track(s): The Stay Golden Pt 1, The Stay Golden Pt 2 (Rats on a rock), Mend and make safe, All hail bright futures, Young brave minds
Worst track(s): Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka, Things amazing
Comments: I've been getting a little more into post rock recently, mostly through the “Love or Hate?” thread, and I have heard ASIWYFA before, in fact they were one of the very first bands to be reviewed here, and their debut album did impress me. That was very guitar driven though, whereas this one at least starts off on a more electronica note, with bouncy keyboards and synth, some effects as the guitars come in, and generally it's a good rather than a great start, at least in comparison to the first album. Guitar does explode into action though for “Big thinks do remarkable” (huh?) and the track has a real punch about it. Interestingly, it's the first with actual vocals, even if all they do is repeat one line.
“Ambulance” has a weird kind of metallic, industrial start before it powers up; some nice digital piano at the end. The next three tracks are all part of one “suite”, going under the umbrella title of “The Stay Golden”. Part 1 has that upbeat dancy sort of keyboard that kicked off the album, gives way to a vocal line halfway through, but again it's just one line repeated. Sort of Mariachi style ending and then Part 2 has a real Caribbean/Calypso feel about it, while “Mend and make safe” has a tremendous, infectious energy. Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka, on the other hand, is clever but quickly becomes very annoying. As does the lacklustre “Things amazing”. The title track then is straight out of a prog rock album, marching along on a thick bouncy keyboard line with a really nice melody and some vague vocals in there too. The album ends well, with a powerful flourish as “Young brave minds” brings proceedings to a close.
Overall impression: It's that thing with post rock again. I mean, this is a very good album, but the instrumental nature of it makes it a little hard for me to properly review it, at least in this format. Not quite as good perhaps as their debut but a worthy successor to it.
Hum Factor: 5
Surprise Factor - 6
Intention: They have a new one out last month so I may listen to that.