The Appleseed Cast
Sagarmatha
©2009 The Militia Group
HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/theappleseedcast" www.myspace.com/theappleseedcast
Wow! Let me lead off with the understanding that I really love this disc. It’s rare that someone so jaded and opinionated gets blown away by something from the first spin.
The Appleseed Cast have an interesting history and, based on my research, have evolved to this very interesting point. “Sagarmatha” sounds to me as if someone used reference points from my past, the much beloved Factory Records and 4AD bands and filtered them through today’s pigeonhole of “post-rock.” Ultimately, this does them a disservice because I find them way more interesting than much of what passes for post-rock these days. Sure, it’s largely instrumental and melodic. What often draws me into music is the sense of the grandiose tempered with an undercurrent of melancholy. The Appleseed Cast does it very well. They avoid lapsing into cliché, or sounding like another Isis, Saxon Shore or Unwed Sailor, and yet somehow manage to incorporate ingredients found in each. Vocals appear on rare occasions and are largely used as another instrument, unintelligible and low in the mix.
The construction and performance is top notch. There is breathing room in the songs, and yet it avoids sounding too arid or less immediate.
“The Summer Before” just destroys me. Vocals are a little more akin to a traditional rock song, but a sense of longing and beauty just permeates the track. It was a nice touch to change the snare sound on the track too. The late Martin Hannett, producer of Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, etc., said something to the effect of “The snare drum is what drives rock and roll.” I agree and more time and thought should be given to it’s place in the mix as well as it’s sound!
Dang it, why aren’t there more CD’s like this coming out today?
10/10 kilts
D
July 2009
