Jakob - Subsets Of Sets

sol·ace 
/ˈsälis/
1. something that gives comfort, consolation, or relief
2. comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness

Solace's meaning is as comforting as the word sounds. Jakob's debut full-length Subsets Of Sets has been getting quite a lot of plays from me as a math and computing-oriented student (set theory and whatnot) lately, and it too embodies this word in essence, sound, and atmosphere. Ironically Jakob has a 2006 album appropriately titled Solace as well, but I'll cover that one some other time.

Subsets Of Sets is an extrospective work of art. The sounds Jakob create on here explore and divulge the inner workings of modern society and its deep impact on us as human beings. These guys put a strong emphasis on rhythms, with prominent drumming and bass often leading the charge into those often overlooked realms. "Drive By Here And Then" is a great opener that sets the tone for the album, building to a distorted climax. "Nice Day For An Earthquake" follows a similar dynamic, but takes on a different facet of living with its sound. The bassline on the track is simple but addicting, and the distorted climax speaks of a distaste for modernity that only feels too appropriate.

Many tracks on Subsets Of Sets do this, but some of the most moving tracks don't. An album favorite of mine, "Overseen" is a moody monument to all the details that pass us by on a regular basis. It builds slowly, with a harmonized cello playing intermittently, never outright reaching that climax. The track is that much more powerful for not doing so, and the dynamic is so nuanced that the track commands my attention every time it's on.

The production on Subsets Of Sets is fantastic. The drums are crystal clear and the bass is audible and constantly driving the music in new directions. Guitar melodies are subdued in the mix, letting the heavy rhythms shine through. When the guitar wants to however it becomes a powerhouse. "The Collar Sets Well," "Ageena," and the end of "Ryan" all collapse upon themselves in a distorted frenzy. It's beautiful in a big-picture kind of way.

What I find interesting about this album is a little interview I found on the internet, originally posted in Pavement magazine circa 2001, where the band describes their songwriting process:

'There's no actual physical song writing ever involved in our musical creation. It comes down to us getting into a room and just taking whatever comes our way basically. We try and keep all preconceptions of music out, and just let something come to us, or just fiddle around til something happens naturally between the three of us, and then once something does, then we work on it. That's just one way of trying to keep our music completely original and completely ourselves.'

This may not be that unique outside of post rock, but when the music is so textured and emotionally powerful, it really impresses me. Solace straight from the soul. Subsets Of Sets brings it in so many ways.

8.5 out of 10

Tracklisting:
1. Drive Here and Then
2. I'm On Your Side
3. Nice Day for an Earthquake
4. Ageena
5. A Moment from Different Angles
6. Aural
7. Calmrock
8. Overseen
9. Sainnes
10. Ryan
11. The Collar Sets Well
12. Some Summer

Bandcamp

Swans - The Seer

Maybe I'll extend this "weekend" into the week. Music is surprisingly back on my mind with a few new releases, and a let up on my workload means I can finally check in more often. Coming down to the end of the year, it's about time to start covering all that I want to and haven't so far. Here's The Seer.

Swans is a challenging act that has a long and intensive backlog of records, although their breakup in the late '90s left a big gap in their discography. Other than Filth and a few tracks here and there, I can't say I've really gone out of my way to listen to them. The hype for Swans' return and the whole post-punk aesthetic and the DIY marketing of their releases led me to look into their material. The Seer doesn't impress. Before you aneurysm, let me explain.

The Seer is a unique album. There's plenty in the ways of instrumental variety, atmosphere, and layering that make it a standout release. I was absolutely floored by "Avatar" and "The Apostate." Both are marvelously droning masterworks and will have you enthralled from beginning to end. The bells and chimes of the former evoke an eerie atmosphere of nostalgia combined with the theatrics of a funeral procession. Like it should sound by that description, the music on these tracks is immersing and powerful. It is something I wish The Seer had more of.

The Seer is an ambitious album, and a good portion of the album comes off as flat. That's a big deal when the album is two hours long and best enjoyed while actively listening. With the variety comes a wide range of emotions, sounds, and arrangements that some people will undoubtedly applaud. Each track on The Seer seems to express some new feeling through it's droning simplicity and layering. The title track embodies this wide range of ideas itself, yet really doesn't explore any of that range in full. To me, this is both a blessing and a curse. The album doesn't tend to explore familiar territory, but sometimes it passes over new ground without taking a stop to admire the scenery. "Song For A Warrior" and "Mother Of The World" in particular come across as underdeveloped. The first being nearly akin to an early '90s bubblegum-pop throwback is particularly painful to listen to (coming from someone who enjoys Sorrow) while "Mother Of The World" is a song that never really goes anywhere over it's ten minutes. Both are hackneyed lyrically and there's really nothing "deep" or remotely interesting to hear here.

The post-rock and post-punk elements are alive and well on The Seer even if some of the atmosphere falls flat. Guitars are often distorted and low in the mix, drums are immense, and the overall feel of the album combined with the atmosphere is one that weighs down on your shoulders after listening. When Swans wants to, they work instruments together in a layered drone pattern, weaving soundscapes that leave you entranced. They manage to properly apply it to the odd dissonant tracks like "93 Ave. B Blues" and the more ambient "A Piece Of The Sky"where screeching and static are reminders of the noise scene Swans came out of. It's wonderful when done subtly on the second part of the title track "The Seer Returns" too. Definitely a piece I overlooked on my first listen. It really goes to show not all droning music is dull and sometimes repeated listens can change your opinion of an album like this. I'm sure the rock and punk elements make it more bearable to listen to repeatedly as well.

After all that, I still feel like this album is one that really missed the mark with me. Perhaps I was expecting too much, or perhaps I was hoping for something a bit more engrossing. The Seer's few uncompelling tracks really bring down the whole, and I have to take a step out of the atmosphere to find the 'next' button on repeated listens. Basically it's hit or miss as a contextually compelling album, but strong in it's individual tracks if that makes any sense.

I can definitely see why Michael Gira expressed his feeling that The Seer was unfinished.

6.0 out of 10

Tracklisting:

1. Lunacy
2. Mother of the World
3. The Wolf
4. The Seer
5. The Seer Returns
6. 93 Ave. B Blues
7. The Daughter Brings the Water
8. Song for a Warrior
9. Avatar
10. A Piece of the Sky
11. The Apostate

Listen // Buy

Holograms - Holograms

Now comes a foray into a musical genre I tend to shy away from: post punk. Holograms is a Swedish band with a neat sound, some 'down' electro-vibes, and '70s throwback vocalwork.

As a subgenre I'm not used to listening to, Holograms' self-titled release comes across as unique and interesting. The electronic influences in particular strike me as appealing. They're subtle and effective, and although they don't always pop up, when they do it changes the entire feel of the track. This self-titled is generally drenched in urban despair - the hallmark of many post rock and shoegaze bands mixed with the angst of late '70s punk - and the electronic element creates some variety. "ABC City" is a wonderfully addictive track that uses an electronic synth beat to carry the melody. Others like the follow-up "Stress" are extremely dissonant. Oft littered with janky, dissonant guitarwork, these songs are appealing and jarring in the context of the album.

Still there are some more standard tracks on the album like "Apostate" and "Astray." The former features mellowed snare rolls which contrast nicely with the denser distortion applied to the energetic guitarwork. It's easily one of the heavier tracks on the album along with the absolutely janky "A Tower." This delightful track has my favorite riffs on the album. They work wonderfully with the bouncing bassline.

The synth and electro elements never become overbearing and generally serve as nuances and effective enhancements of Holograms' core sound. It's nice hearing a band use these subtleties to such a high degree of quality. The production and mixing is generous to these elements as well, and each instrument is given its fair share of the frequency platform. Contextually each track works too, which is nice. I tend to like when an artist creates a 'complete' album with their tracklist, even if it's as simple as exploring one special idea through the variety in their tracks.

Some of the tracks, although contextually fitting, are a bit dull however. The closer is a five-minute borefest for example. The aforementioned "Astray" is also completely forgettable. "Fever" luckily evolves into something more interesting than the upbeat intro riff, but sadly "Transform" never really gets there. It's a short song, and it resolves without accomplishing anything. I feel more when I listen to thirty-second grindcore tracks, and that's a bit more than mildly depressing.

I have to say the vocals definitely won't be for everyone, and they tend to carry their own melody. Good thing I'm not everyone. I'd have to say Holograms' self-titled is a success. Definitely a band to keep an eye on in the future.

7.5 out of 10

Tracklisting:

1. Monolith
2. Chasing My Mind
3. Orpheo
4.. Memories of Sweat
5. Transform
6. Apostate
7. ABC City
8. Stress
9. Astray
10. A Tower
11. Fever
12. You Are Ancient (Sweden's Pride)
Listen // Buy

Light Bearer - Lapsus

Here comes another tough write-up, but definitely something you should check out if you haven't already!

Post-rock, post-metal, post-hardcore, sludge: these are the defining elements of Light Bearer's 2011 debut titled Lapsus. The London based group took the concept series penned by Alex (the vocalist) and turned it into a sonic tale of free will. Each part of the series, Lapsus, Silver Tongue, Magisterium, and Lattermost Sword, deals with the passing of the "truth" from metaphorical Lucifer (the light bearer) onto mitochondrial "Eve" and eventually humanity. They've got EPs and splits planned too, which apparently cover the formation of the universe and life (according to their Facebook). Lapsus is naturally the first album in the concept.

And what a glorious debut it is. Lapsus relies almost entirely on atmosphere to carry the listener through great soundscapes, and it does this quite well. The album begins with "Beyond The Infinite," which really just sets up the concept for the rest of the album to play through. "Primum Movens" is Red Sparowes-esque but much more beautiful. Honestly that's the only to describe it. It's got all the layering and that "growing" feeling common with many post-rock masterpieces. "Armoury Choir" has a much more somber tone, and the epic, clean vocal conclusion of "Prelapsus" seamlessly flows straight into "Lapsus" which revisits previous themes from the other tracks, culminating in the end of the album.

It sounds like a bit much and hardly tells you anything about the music itself, right? Well the instrumentation is suitable for this kind of music. The production is heavy in low-end, yet every instrument is present and clearly heard throughout the album. There's interesting fills midway through "Armoury Choir" and quality bass licks to complement the droning chords on nearly every track. Light Bearer isn't afraid to ease off the distortion for some cleaner sections on "Lapsus" and "Primum Movens," but the album is still pretty heavy as a whole. I've seen a few people compare it to Neurosis' mid-era and later work. Some of the riffs could be spiced up a bit, but I wasn't expecting the most technically proficient music when I heard those comparisons. The clean vocals at the end of "Prelapsus" are a bit overdone but it does suit the song quite well regardless, and to top it all off the album concludes on a memorable collusion with a violin while the distant snare taps away in the background. That's about all you can really say about the album. Believe me when I say my words don't do Lapsus justice. It's an album that has to be heard to appreciate.

9.0 out of 10
This album is destined to be a post-rock/metal/hardcore classic and I definitely recommend it to everyone who likes that sort of thing. It took a little to grow on me, so don't discount it at first listen.

Tracklisting:

1.	Beyond the Infinite
2.	Primum Movens
3.	Armoury Choir
4.	The Metatron
5.	Prelapsus
6.	Lapsus