Events
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I’m not sure I could have found this album at a better time. I was in need of a really good new release, and it’s even better that this one is from one of my favorite bands. Despite the fact that a God is an Astronaut concert was the birth place of Obnoxious Listeners, I almost forgot about their upcoming release. Since Nirav doesn’t see this review coming, I’m guessing he’s just as overwhelmed as I have been by other music we’ve come across. I guess technically the album will be released January 2009, but their self-titled album is available December 16th, 2008 at Amazon. Or even better, I stumbled across a link to their website which has made the album available for purchase since November 7th, 2008 here.
First of all, do not buy this album via Amazon, and I’ll go so far as to not buy it through iTunes either. The link I found allows you to download the full album with a 320 kbps bit rate, a gigantic cover art image, and the best part, it’s only $8. Second of all… this album is amazing.
The cover art gives it away. This new album is more energetic than their previous releases. It also follows a natural progression you’d anticipate but not necessarily expect (in reference to the cover art as well as the music). There were several moments of awe when I literally said “oh shit” out loud. The opening track was honestly just what I expected, but not really in a bad way. It did, however, make me very slightly worried my expectations were too high. I thought, “Well this is good, but not amazing”. It’s almost as if they were were pulling their punches to let you know who’s in control. The third track, Echoes, really knocked me out. This track has some of the band’s best use of dynamics and a well placed distinction between the guitar and bass allowing for the bass to really drive the rhythm… as it should.
By far my favorite track on the album is Zodiac. Nirav can correct me if I’m wrong, it sounds likes they used some Indian drums to start. I doubt they actually used a sitar, but it at least had the guitar using a sitar-like effect. This is a completely different sound than they’ve tried on any of their albums, and it flows very smoothly. I wish they had kept the this feel through more of the song, but I can’t really complain. The following track, Remaining Light, is much more mellow and is an interesting contrast to Zodiac. Remaining Light is a little more along the lines of what God is an Astronaut has previously released and incorporates more synthesized piano. My only complaint about this track is that the keyboard clips a few times in a way that’s hard to defend as intentional, which is disappointing given the higher bit rate than I’m used to for an mp3.
If I had no expectations for this album, I certainly would have been completely blown away. Although it didn’t quite do that for me, I still loved this album as soon as I started playing it and it grew on me even more with subsequent listens. I’m not sure I can label this album as their best yet, but the band is continuing in the right direction while blending the new styles with what they’ve already touched. On a more critical note, I’d like to see the drummer become more active. But he still does a pretty decent job, and I can’t wait to see these guys live again.
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