- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: Caspian
Album: Waking Season
Label: Triple Crown Records
Playtime: 57:00 min
Genre: Instrumental Rock
URL: http://www.caspianmusic.net
Rip date: 2012-09-22
Street date: 2012-09-18
Size: 107.50 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 247 kbps / 4410Hz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
Easily the best post-rock album of 2012. Unbelievable!
"The post-rock landscape has become a bit crowded in recent years, with new
Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky clones seemingly cropping up every few weeks.
Caspian carved out a sizable plot in the high-rent district of that
overcrowded territory in 2009 with their second full-length, Tertia, a
fantastic album that probably deserved more recognition than it received. And
as fantastic as it was, it didnÆt seem like it was a record that vaulted them
into the post-rock elite as it should have. But thatÆs about to change with
Waking Season. The album is a triumph, a huge step forward for a band that
should be regarded as one of the best in the genre.
The most noticeable improvement over Tertia lies in Waking SeasonÆs
production. Rather than the band calling all of the shots when it came to
recording and mixing (as they had in the past), the band recruited
highly-respected and accomplished producer Matt Bayles (Isis, Mastodon) to
focus arrangements, capture sounds and mix the final effort. That proved to be
a wise decision, because Caspian have never sounded better. Their lush
arrangements are clearer than ever before and their atmospherics are ethereal
and enthralling. While much of that can be chalked up to BaylesÆ skill set, a
lot of it comes from a 10-year-old band who are maturing in all the right
ways.
That developing maturity is most evident in the bandÆs improved patience. With
Waking Season, theyÆve allowed parts the time they need to develop and fully
immerse the listener. TheyÆve perfected the slow-build, the steady and
meticulous layering of instruments and rhythms, the separation of highs and
lows. And that patience and deliberate pacing makes the albumÆs crushing
crescendos hit harder than they ever have (or ever should, really). There are
several legitimate misty-eyed moments in this 57 minutes of music. This is
best displayed in the 10-minute epic ôGone In Bloom And Bough,ö which is
Caspian at their absolute best; dynamic, haunting, chill-inducing, uplifting
and crushingly heavy.
The breadth of the instrumentation employed on Waking SeasonÆs 10 tracks is
breathtaking; from the drum and vocal samples to the organically-built ambient
textures to the spiraling acoustic guitar arpeggios to the chilling, Brian
Eno-esque piano in the title track to the live string quartet in ôProcellousö
to what sounds like a Mellotron in ôHalls Of The Summerö to the hypnotizing
loops in ôAkiko.ö Simply put, the album is fucking gorgeous. Caspian are one
of the best bands in post-rock pushing the boundaries of the genre, expanding
the scope of what is possible in instrumental rock music, and raising the bar
for their peersùand Waking Season is arguably one of the best records of
2012."
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Waking Season ( 5:21)
02. Procellous ( 6:13)
03. Gone In Bloom and Bough (10:24)
04. Halls of the Summer ( 5:15)
05. Akiko ( 3:33)
06. High Lonesome ( 3:37)
07. Hickory '54 ( 6:04)
08. Long the Desert Mile ( 6:10)
09. Collider In Blue ( 2:34)
10. Fire Made Flesh ( 7:49)
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