2009 Review: Top 25 Albums

After an extensive hiatus, Neosurrealist is back with its picks for the top albums of 2009. Although the year in post-rock and related genres lacked a depth of solid releases, several albums proved as concrete extensions of the artistic techniques and passion that have come to define post-rock. While few records in 2009 demonstrated a truly ground-breaking, monumental shift in method or manner, many artists presented works that, given their proper due, harbored genre-defining moments. From the string-infused, cacophonous yet relatively restrained walls of sound on Mono's Hymn to the Immortal Wind to the raucous dynamics of The Forgotten Host to Ioseb's familiar but perfected combination of e-bow and angelic vocals, the year in review will indeed remain memorable to many a post-rock fan. If anything, 2009 has engendered a unique type of post-rock album: a record with the steadfast dedication and excitement of an earlier work, but with the added benefit of more than a decade of acculturation and refinement.

25. The Appleseed Cast- Sagarmatha
Vagrant Records
Kansas, United States
Myspace



24. Pertego- Hjarta
Collapsed Records
Italy
Myspace



23. All the Empires of the World- Blessings
Records On Ribs
England
Myspace



22. British Sea Power- Man of Aran
Rough Trade Records
England
Myspace



21. To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie- Marlone
Kranky Records
Minnesota, United States
Myspace



20. The Twilight Sad- Forget the Night Ahead
FatCat Records
Scotland
Myspace



19. French Teen Idol- El Siete Es La Luz
Self-Released
Italy
Myspace



18. Eaststrikewest- Wolvves
Thirty Days of Night Records
England
Myspace



17. The Sleepover Disaster-Hover
Devil in the Woods Records
California, United States
Myspace



16. Toma- As We Fall Into Static Our Hearts Sing
Wise Owl Records
England
Myspace



15. Junius- The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist
Mylene Sheath
Massachusetts, United States
Myspace



14. Not To Reason Why- Would You Hug Fire?
1912 Records
California, United States
Myspace



13. When Icarus Falls- Over the Frozen Seas
Get a Life! Records
Switzerland
Myspace

12. Constants- The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension
Mylene Sheath
Massachusetts, United States
Myspace

11. Sons Had Father- The Bearing, The Celebration
Self-Released
West Virginia, United States
Myspace

10. Redjetson- Other Arms
Gizeh Records
England
Myspace

9. I Hear Sirens- Beyond the Sea, Beneath the Sky
Self-Released
Utah, United States
Myspace



8. The Autumn Project- This We Take With Us
Zurecords
Iowa, United States
Myspace

7. Codes in the Clouds- Paper Canyon
Erased Tapes Records
England
Myspace

6. Caspian- Tertia
Mylene Sheath
Massachusetts, United States
Myspace



5. Pg.Lost- In Never Out
Black Star Foundation
Sweden
Myspace



4. Braveyoung- Bloom
The End Records
North Carolina, United States
Myspace



3. Mono- Hymn to the Immortal Wind
Temporary Residence Limited
Japan
Myspace



2. Ioseb- The Ghost of Thirty-Three
Self-Released
Sweden
Myspace



1. Blueneck- The Fallen Host
Denovali Records
England
Myspace

2008 Review: Top 20 Underrated Albums

20. Aim- Spirits of Your Tide
(ViaAudio Records)
Italy





19. Chemtrail- Terminals
(Self-Released)
New Jersey, US





18. Spokes- People Like People Like You
(Everyone Label)
United Kingdom





17. No One Wished to Settle Here- Constant Slapstick and Traveling
(Consouling Sounds)
Poland





16. Presence of Soul- Blinds
(Wheel Records)
Japan





15. Time. Space. Repeat.- Lost Transmissions
(Self-Released)
United Kingdom





14. Hualun- Silver Daydream
(Fox Tail Records)
China




13. Wembly Shadwell- Pieta
(Self-Released)
Illinois, US




12. Coma Stereo- Binary Endings
(49 Manekinow Records)
Slovenia





11. Glissade- Further
(Deep Space Recordings)
North Carolina, US





10. Coup de Grace- Coup de Grace
(Self-Released)
Utah, US





9. Hadoken- The Ancient Machine
(Self-Released)
Massachusetts, US





8. Dawn Chorus Ignites- Signs
(Self-Released)
United Kingdom





7. Shapes Stars Make- Shapes Stars Make
(Self-Released)
Texas, US





6. Forgot Your Case- 19th Again
(Final Kid Group)
Thailand




5. Laymar- In Strange Lines And Distances
(Tenor Vossa Records)
United Kingdom





4. Kaneda- Gallantry Bower
(Self-Released)
United Kingdom





3. Deepset- The Lights We Shed Shall Burn Your Eyes
(KittyWu Records)
Malaysia





2. Mimas- The Worries
(Big Scary Monsters Records)
Denmark





1. Brainbow- Brainbow
(Self-Released)
Ohio, US

Albums of the Week: Highlighted Albums of May 2008

Coup de Grace
Coup de Grace
Myspace

Comprised of thirteen tracks and around 70 minutes of music, Coup de Grace represents the epic self-titled debut from this intriguing Utah-based quartet. While the album is centered around standard post-rock structure, often weaving between solemn, downtrodden passages and up-tempo bursts of reverb-laden intensity, Coup de Grace stand out in their execution and knowledge of the genre's subtleties. Crucial to the band's success is the frequent and efficient use of atmospheric guitar lines segueing into energetic layers of tremolo and heavy distortion; all the while a relatively subdued production value adds to the album's collective theme. By no means groundbreaking in composition or experimentation, Coup de Grace nonetheless stands as a particularly enjoyable release stationed within the boundaries of the post-rock genre.


De La Mancha
Atlas
Myspace

On their debut album Atlas, Swedish two-piece De La Mancha achieve a sound diverse in approach and influence while maintaining a cohesive property between tracks. On display within Atlas are portions of heavily distorted guitar as well as moments of stripped-down acoustic work, both of which are positioned amongst manifestations of varying musical influences. In specific, tracks such as "Lotus Seven" and "Superstoned," exhibit De La Mancha's considerable psychedelic-rock component, while other pieces ("Newfoundland", "Being a Hero Is Easy") skirt from ambient guitar and electronics to shoegaze-like passages of reverb and melancholy. At times reminiscent of Holler, Wild Rose! in mindset and sonic structure, De La Mancha continue said band's tendency of meshing somewhat contrasting genres into a single unique and cinematic sound.


Followed By Ghosts
Dear Monsters, Be Patient
Myspace

With 2007's self-titled debut album, Iowa quartet Followed By Ghosts introduced themselves to the post-rock scene in exceptional fashion, garnering attention from genre pundits and newcomers alike. While Followed By Ghosts was indeed well-deserving of its relative notoriety, the album was not without flaw, dragging a bit due to a possible lack of recording experience, and in some cases, musical substance. On their sophomore outing Dear Monsters, Be Patient, however, Followed By Ghosts fail to repeat any rookie missteps. Instead, the band expertly dish out piles of distortion atop gloomy melodies and elegant chord progressions. Dear Monsters, Be Patient also marks a shift towards more compact song structures, further highlighting the band's refined textures and triumphant mastery of the quiet-loud dynamic. In short, Dear Monsters, Be Patient represents what every avid post-rock listener yearns for but rarely sees accomplished: a fledgling band honing their craft and fulfilling the seemingly limitless potential of a solid debut release.

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.