Albums of the Week: Highlighted Albums of Spring 2008

In the Wake of Giants
In the Wake of Giants
Myspace

On their self-titled debut, Pittsburgh quartet In the Wake of Giants offers up a well-executed, aesthetically intriguing study in traditional post-rock soundscape. Ranging from delicate, chiming guitars to crashing and distorted melodies, In the Wake of Giants is additionally marked by the group's tendency to incorporate periods of angular and chaotic breakdowns. Penultimate track "Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us" demonstrates legitimate potential: driving piano is layered against guitar, drum, and bass until giving way to a surprisingly intense resolution. While all the tried indicators of post-rock are present, In the Wake of Giants ultimately succeeds due to their attention to detail and ability to merge chaotic and textural passages.




Midsummer
Inside the Trees
Myspace

On Inside the Trees, California act Midsummer demonstrates the benefits of placing three and a half years of effort behind a debut album. In a similar fashion to Pooma's 2007 debut Persuader, Inside the Trees highlights a band mature in composition and instrumentation, having progressed considerably from previous EPs This Ageless Night and Moon Shadow. Midsummer's forte on Inside the Trees lies in striking a balance between melody and sonic exploration, ultimately producing a pleasantly restrained and deliberate album. That being said, Midsummer does offer up a number of varied structural approaches, ranging from condensed pop-informed pieces to winding epics highlighted by strings and choral harmonies, all culminating in an especially majestic and rewarding release.




Shapes Stars Make
Shapes Stars Make
Myspace

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Shapes Stars Make crafts emotionally-rich indie rock heavy in post-rock influence. As a result of this now somewhat commonplace blend, Shapes Stars Make draws its fair share of comparisons to The Apleseed Cast; indeed, some similarities are evident as the two groups share John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, 2006's Peregrine) as producer. Evident on the band's debut EP, however, is a sound unique in its atypical condensation of genre techniques. Where as most indie bands experimenting with post-rock textures tend to develop around mellow, restrained build-ups and finishes, Shapes Stars Make represents six tracks equally gentle and melodic as they are massive in volume. In specific, opener "Let It Be Morning" concludes in a distortion-filled cacophony of layered guitars, synth, and drums reminiscent of the epic climaxes of Mono and early Mogwai. In the abbreviated span of thirty minutes, Shapes Stars Make have announced themselves to indie and post-rock purists alike as a group to watch for in the near future.