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gotjuice · 05-16-2010, 01:24 AM

Immanu El
They'll Come, They Come (2007)
8.9/10
Post-Rock, Ambient, Dream-Pop

Before I begin this review, I need to get something off my chest: I love Sigur Rós. They take the breathless climaxes of the greatest post-rock bands, the most soothing and blissful ambient tones, and some of the most dreamlike, ethereal vocals on the planet, and they combine them into music that is completely original. Bands like Múm can come close sometimes, but nobody can do what Sigur Rós does. Another reason I love these Icelanders is their ability to channel the entire emotional spectrum through their music, from the frenzied triumph of Glósóli to the numbingly melancholic Vaka to the bubbly innocence of Gobbledigook.

Phew, that feels better

As you can clearly see though, this is not a Sigur Rós review. So why am I bringing them up?

Well, sometimes, I might be in the mood to listen to Sigur Rós, but maybe I’m not ready to hear Sigur Rós themselves. Maybe I don’t have the patience to devote to a full album. Maybe I can’t handle Hopelandic vocals at that very moment. Maybe I just want music that sounds like SR without the entire package.

During these moments, I turn to Immanu El’s debut album. There’s enough to this album so that calling it Sigur Rós-lite doesn’t do it justice, but if you want cliffs, there it is. Most of the album consists of mellow, laid-back guitar, piano, occasional strings, ambient noise, and Claes Strängberg’s dreamy vocals. He’s no Jónsi, but Claes definitely holds his own. The lyrics themselves are in English, and are minimalist but extremely powerful. There is the soft/loud post-rock dynamic very prevalent here, as well as just some gorgeous dream-pop stuff in tracks such as Home. Another hint to the sound you can expect is the album art. It’s a very peaceful fifty minutes, with even the crescendos being more uplifting than necessarily powerful. This album is warm, at least that’s how I would describe it.

About 1/5 of the album is taken up by the opening track, Under Your Wings I’ll Hide, which is one of the most brilliant and beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Classify it under whatever genre you like, it’s universally gorgeous, with dynamics transitioning seamlessly until the final triumphant climax. Home features some gorgeous string work. White Seraphs Wild showcases some beautiful piano. These tracks are all individual, yet they blend together very nicely. My personal favorite, however, is the closing track, …In Valleys. This song puts everything together, from the warm, tranquil piano chords to the strings to the beautiful vocals, all together in a final apex.

So: if you’re a fan of Sigur Rós, or ambient acts such as Hammock, or any post-rock, you really owe it to yourself to give this a spin. I know I made a lot of comparisons to the Icelandic giants, but They’ll Come, They Come is far from a knockoff. These guys are very original and very good at what they do.

05-16-2010, 01:24 AM	#15 (permalink)
gotjuice Rose City til I die! Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 366	Immanu El They'll Come, They Come (2007) 8.9/10 Post-Rock, Ambient, Dream-Pop Before I begin this review, I need to get something off my chest: I love Sigur Rós. They take the breathless climaxes of the greatest post-rock bands, the most soothing and blissful ambient tones, and some of the most dreamlike, ethereal vocals on the planet, and they combine them into music that is completely original. Bands like Múm can come close sometimes, but nobody can do what Sigur Rós does. Another reason I love these Icelanders is their ability to channel the entire emotional spectrum through their music, from the frenzied triumph of Glósóli to the numbingly melancholic Vaka to the bubbly innocence of Gobbledigook. Phew, that feels better As you can clearly see though, this is not a Sigur Rós review. So why am I bringing them up? Well, sometimes, I might be in the mood to listen to Sigur Rós, but maybe I’m not ready to hear Sigur Rós themselves. Maybe I don’t have the patience to devote to a full album. Maybe I can’t handle Hopelandic vocals at that very moment. Maybe I just want music that sounds like SR without the entire package. During these moments, I turn to Immanu El’s debut album. There’s enough to this album so that calling it Sigur Rós-lite doesn’t do it justice, but if you want cliffs, there it is. Most of the album consists of mellow, laid-back guitar, piano, occasional strings, ambient noise, and Claes Strängberg’s dreamy vocals. He’s no Jónsi, but Claes definitely holds his own. The lyrics themselves are in English, and are minimalist but extremely powerful. There is the soft/loud post-rock dynamic very prevalent here, as well as just some gorgeous dream-pop stuff in tracks such as Home. Another hint to the sound you can expect is the album art. It’s a very peaceful fifty minutes, with even the crescendos being more uplifting than necessarily powerful. This album is warm, at least that’s how I would describe it. About 1/5 of the album is taken up by the opening track, Under Your Wings I’ll Hide, which is one of the most brilliant and beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Classify it under whatever genre you like, it’s universally gorgeous, with dynamics transitioning seamlessly until the final triumphant climax. Home features some gorgeous string work. White Seraphs Wild showcases some beautiful piano. These tracks are all individual, yet they blend together very nicely. My personal favorite, however, is the closing track, …In Valleys. This song puts everything together, from the warm, tranquil piano chords to the strings to the beautiful vocals, all together in a final apex. So: if you’re a fan of Sigur Rós, or ambient acts such as Hammock, or any post-rock, you really owe it to yourself to give this a spin. I know I made a lot of comparisons to the Icelandic giants, but They’ll Come, They Come is far from a knockoff. These guys are very original and very good at what they do. __________________ I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders...