God is an Astronaut
Origins
Rocket Girl Records
2013
Instrumental albums are always kinda hard in the ear. You see the lack of vocals makes people get bored after a while. Alternatively, any band that prefers to go without the use of any vocals must be extra careful on what they deliver so as to keep the interest of the fans at high levels throughout the album.
Post-rock has entered our life vastly in the last decade and more and more bands are dealing with this specific genre. I was never into that music style but in the last years I started listening to various post-rock/metal, atmospheric & shoegaze (what a bland term!) acts… and I can actually say that this kind of music (as every other) can be rather enjoyable especially when it is delivered in the right way. Post-rock bands typically have atmospheric, ambient and a bit melancholic tracks; hence it’s impossible to have a good time while listening to them. On the other hand, they can be a very good companion when you have your blues and feel a bit down in the dumps.
This is where God is an Astronaut steps in and takes over. This Irish band has been around for more than a decade and has offered several albums and various great songs to the scene throughout the years but the most basic thing is that they have made post-rock music more known and accessible to the fans who haven’t heard of this kind of music or weren’t in the mood to try out any new music sounds.
The band’s seventh studio work finds them as a five-piece (for the first time) and features a few more up-tempo tracks and rhythms. It surely has its moody, atmospheric and melancholic moments but there are also tunes like: “Spiral Code”, “Signal Rays” & “Red Moon Lagoon” (among others) which add a variety to the album’s sound-scape. A handful of Fx vox in a small number of songs are also giving a more cyborg-robotic atmosphere to the whole outcome. I do prefer their gloomy & atmospheric tracks better and this is the band’s strongest point, in my opinion. Tunes such as: “The Last March”, “Reverse World”, “Autumn Song”, & “Strange Steps” won’t leave anyone unmoved!
“Origins” might be a little more “experimental & optimistic” for a post-rock album but it is well-produced and efficient on the whole. At the end of the day, it cannot exceed “All Is Violent, All Is Bright” but it is another worthy & satisfying addition to the band’s music-catalogue.
Post-rock has entered our life vastly in the last decade and more and more bands are dealing with this specific genre. I was never into that music style but in the last years I started listening to various post-rock/metal, atmospheric & shoegaze (what a bland term!) acts… and I can actually say that this kind of music (as every other) can be rather enjoyable especially when it is delivered in the right way. Post-rock bands typically have atmospheric, ambient and a bit melancholic tracks; hence it’s impossible to have a good time while listening to them. On the other hand, they can be a very good companion when you have your blues and feel a bit down in the dumps.
This is where God is an Astronaut steps in and takes over. This Irish band has been around for more than a decade and has offered several albums and various great songs to the scene throughout the years but the most basic thing is that they have made post-rock music more known and accessible to the fans who haven’t heard of this kind of music or weren’t in the mood to try out any new music sounds.
The band’s seventh studio work finds them as a five-piece (for the first time) and features a few more up-tempo tracks and rhythms. It surely has its moody, atmospheric and melancholic moments but there are also tunes like: “Spiral Code”, “Signal Rays” & “Red Moon Lagoon” (among others) which add a variety to the album’s sound-scape. A handful of Fx vox in a small number of songs are also giving a more cyborg-robotic atmosphere to the whole outcome. I do prefer their gloomy & atmospheric tracks better and this is the band’s strongest point, in my opinion. Tunes such as: “The Last March”, “Reverse World”, “Autumn Song”, & “Strange Steps” won’t leave anyone unmoved!
“Origins” might be a little more “experimental & optimistic” for a post-rock album but it is well-produced and efficient on the whole. At the end of the day, it cannot exceed “All Is Violent, All Is Bright” but it is another worthy & satisfying addition to the band’s music-catalogue.