A niche, a genre, a family, a gathering of souls. However you describe the world of post-rock one thing that remains a constant, and feeds through every drum beat and ever stirring guitar chord is emotion. Every album that’s crafted within this genre wears it’s heart on its sleeve, and this week’s review of wemissedthesky’s latest record, Sojourner epitomizes that belief.
The world is moving fast, and how music is listened to today is no different. Many bands rely on playlists and streaming platforms to survive, like following a trail of breadcrumbs to feed their weary musical journey. And yes, I mean survive, because we all know the income generated through these platforms is but a raindrop in a thunderstorm. Music has become throw-away and albums are becoming fragmented.
Well, I’m here to plead with you all to give albums another chance, to allow the story and the journey to immerse you and bring you on the voyage of pure emotion and joy that it’s designed to do. There is no greater feeling than being completely submerged in a sea of soft, sullen passages and great ,earth moving crescendos, as you play an album from start to finish. Wemissedthesky undertake this craft brilliantly with Sojourner.
Opening with Complex 34, the band immediately transport you to the heavens with their deeply moving and haunting guitar tones and those spine tingling spoken words. Similar to what We Lost The Sea did with Challenger, wemissedthesky soundtrack the space race by bringing a heartbeat along with all the heartbreak. Lush tremolo guitaring, soft subtle synths and crushing percussions hurtle you through the cosmos and right through the next track, V99N62 without you even noticing it!
With nine tracks for you to fall ever deeper into, Sojourner brings you through a plethora of emotions. The title track brings big bold riffs that are drenched in melancholy, but with an air of hope and optimism whistling through them. It’s powerful and it’s what you want from post-rock. It hits that nerve deep within, which sends pulses through your body and bring great joy and fulfillment.
Tracks like Contemplate! showcase what bands within this genre can do when the shackles are well and truly shattered. The crushing riffs that assault the senses right from the off are ignited with great fire, force and fury. As the music ebbs and flows through calmer waters, you’re completely consumed. Slow, patient, and powerful, the music meanders through highs a lows , before descending slowly back to earth with the softest of landings.
Post music is in a good place. Bands are putting out solid records daily, and the least we should do is give these albums the respect that they deserve, and that is to play them as they were written....in full...without interruption! Why not start with Sojourner!