There’s A Light – A Long Lost Silence

Post Rock

78%

While I’ve listened to some rich and varied music this year, as a whole I’d say that post rock is the genre that has left the biggest impression on me thus far in 2018. I’ve heard some dazzling soundscapes the past few months, the kind of music that’s almost tangible, that feels as though it surrounds you like some mystical fog. This debut album from German band There’s A Light is a fine example, proving to be every bit as haunting as the gorgeous artwork hints at. At its finest A Long Lost Silence creates the kind of atmosphere that feels all-consuming, most notably on ‘Farewell, My Friend’ and ‘Across The River, Into The Trees’. You could sit and listen to this on repeat all day and not feel like any time has passed. One of the few things that breaks the reverie is when the vocals first kick in on ‘White Marble’. I was so enthralled by the music, I never even considered that vocals may come into play, and thankfully they serve only to add to the ambience rather than distract from it.

Sadly the heavier sections of the album, particularly on ‘Beteigeuze’, can feel a little a little heavy-handed. The big riffs are a bit too in-your-face and lack the subtleties and nuances evident in the rest of the record. Also, while I love how the instruments can come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts, it doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to happen all the time. Sometimes it’s nice to place greater emphasis on a particular instrument for a while, something that is generally lacking here. The notable exception however is album highlight ‘Antagonism’, which builds from expressive drums, throws some Alice In Chains-esque bass into the mix, before offering the album’s finest guitar work in the song’s closing minute. The album has it’s flaws, but it’s a damn good debut and is a record that I will be regularly returning to.