Gateway To Post-Rock
Post-Rock is an exploratory genre of music that focuses on building walls of sound and creating moments that feel bolder than life itself. The result is grand, dramatic movements that transition from cinematic highs to brooding, desolate lows. Typically, post-rock musicians often utilise drones and ambience to further decorate their work, and a wild amount of elements from other styles can be incorporated, including electronic, jazz, post-punk, progressive rock and even classical music. Nonetheless, it can be a patience-testing genre that fans appreciate for the vast sonic landscapes that one can step into, get lost in and pull meaning from.
If you wish to get into this style of music, here are a selection of albums to start with.
Explosions In The Sky — The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
Explosions In The Sky’s third studio effort is one of the most accessible records in the genre for new listeners. Like most post-rock material, the album is instrumental, but despite the lack of voice, there is still a lucid concept that can be pulled from every this and indeed most post-rock albums, should listeners choose to dive into it. Most interpretations are different from other listeners, as this commanding style of music can act as a blank canvas to put one’s own meaning and story onto. The album opener, “First Breath After Coma”, begins with a single guitar line, yet is raised over the course of minutes into a climactic, emotive high punctuated by two guitar lines intimately weaving in and out of each other. The track is then brought back down to its original shyness, only to be sucker-punched back up with thunderous guitars. The more obtainable sound The Earth Is… brought to the post-rock table has been recycled many times both within the genre and outside it, even bands like Coldplay were influenced by the wailing, reverb-soaked guitars all over this album. Though the album does suffer from a lack of variety, both structurally and by instrumental choice, it nonetheless carries enough hope and warmth for the Earth.
P.S. — One additional note that shows off the profoundness of this project is the full title located on the vinyl version of the album:
“The Earth is not a cold dead place because you are breathing, because you are listening.”
Sigur Rós — Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós are, even within the world of post-rock, an oddity, thanks in part to their use of unique instruments such as the cello bow that evoke otherworldly, picturesque sonic landscapes reminiscent of those in their home country of Iceland. Sigur Rós uses vocals, a rarity in post-rock music, though they are used as an instrument blended into the mix, rather than a standout feature. This evidenced by the lyrics predominantly sung in a self-made language known as “Hopelandish”, the boyish vocals from lead singer Jonsi being engulfed by the luscious instrumentation, however these vocals still play an important role, breathing warmth into the frosty atmosphere of the record. One song that typifies the Sigur Rós experience is the captivating 10-minute venture “Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása”, which moves like glacier, and evolves from a timid cell into a crushing titan of a song. A gentle piano lead ushers the song in from the chilling ambience, and more elements introduce themselves, all culminating into a heart-wrenching climax featuring shoegazy guitar and frantic violins. The self-imposed language barrier the band creates showcases that no matter what the lyrics say, the emotions birthed by the music is potent enough for anyone to understand, truly re-defining the classifier of “world music”.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor — Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven!
Of the three post-rock picks, Godspeed’s second full-length effort is a 90-minute double album divided into just 4 tracks. It is by far the most challenging of the three, delivering an apocalyptic journey that is heavy on the heart and brutal on the ears. However, after giving this album enough time, one can find merit in the way Godspeed marries the ferocity of a punk rock band with the majesty of orchestral music. The music presented on the album is colossal and overwhelming, as if it were designed to soundtrack the Big Bang. With the same level of passion, however, Lift Your Skinny Fists employs harrowing ambience to continue the vast feeling of the album even in its quietest points. It uses claustrophobic drones that bring a shattering amount of tension — make no mistake, this record is as sepulchral as it is whimsical.
The introductory moments of the record give an immaculate mission statement on what the band aim to do, gathering momentum from murmurs and building an odd denouement to begin the record, with frivolous horns, stomping drums, all bathed in shimmering shoegaze guitar, and for it all to plunge down into an elegiac rendition of “Amazing Grace”, the aftermath is just as moving. This is all within the first 7 minutes, and although entire days could be spent discussing and reliving every tidbit of “…Skinny Fists…”, mere description doesn’t do justice, it has to be experienced first-hand. One important aspect of the success of this album is the introduction of outside influences. Through the smokey void of this album blossoms elements from indie rock and hip-hop, take a look at the subtle but loose drum breaks in the final 5 minutes of “Sleep”, giving the soaring climax a fresh take. Gems like these are what makes post-rock so resonant, influence can be implemented anywhere, and brings innovation to such an enigmatic field of music.
Post-rock is a varied genre despite its lack of mainstream popularity, and its entire ethos or sound cannot simply be summed up with three albums. Thus, the following is a list of further listening to provide a slightly more comprehensive view of the genre, though it will be far from the end of your journey into post-rock.
