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Esmerine:
Aurora
I cant listen to bands in the vein of Godspeed You! Black Emperor without being reminded of a tragically hip young man I knew several years ago. Fresh from a five-year stint in Manhattan, his musical tastes seemed so well-honed that I just had to believe him when he told me this experimental music was about to become the Next Big Thing. And I guess it was for a while, but to this day, I still dont really understand why. Esmerine was formed by Godspeeds Bruce Cawdron and A Silver Mt. Zions Beckie Foon, so I knew what I was getting into before I even popped Aurora into my stereo. The minimalist chamber music sound is there, however, to my surprise, guitars were left behind. The result is, at its best, something similar to the Rachels Handwriting, and at its worst, something that sounds like a 17-minute requiem for a song I might have enjoyed in another life. Though the telltale epic tracks are there, Aurora features a few easy-to-digest shorter numbers that may appeal to first-time post-rock listeners. Why She Swallows Bullets and Stones is perhaps the most beautiful use of strings, and the closing Le Rire de LAnge incorporates a dense texture evocative of My Bloody Valentine. Yet the shortest song, "Mados," might as well be a recording of nails scratching against a chalkboard. While Aurora is not always to my taste, I can appreciate a well-made album when I hear one. Esmerine breathes emotion into a genre that often leaves me feeling cold, and the use of a multitude of instruments is an interesting contrast to otherwise simple arrangements. Ive always thought the best part about instrumental music is that to an extent, it gives you the ability to define songs for yourself and to that end, this album succeeds.
Check Amazon, Insound and CD Universe to purchase this album.
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