Album of the Week: Tender Souvenirs

Tender Souvenirs
Scars & Souvenirs
Airwaves Music
Myspace

On their debut release, Tender Souvenirs (formerly Ever the Statesman) introduce the listener to their unique brand of swirling, trumpet-infused, multi-layered post-rock. In a year where the standard full-length fails to reach past 45 minutes in length, Scars & Souvenirs gracefully extends itself for nearly an hour; atypical of most contemporary post-rock bands, let alone groups new to the scene. In any case, the lengthy duration of the album acts as an outward indication of the music Tender Souvenirs strives to create. Each of the seven songs featured here twist and elegantly transform from quiet opening melodies to reverb-laden walls of guitar noise. Integral to the band's compositions are the use of frontman Martin Sassner's vocals and trumpet-playing, both of which are incorporated in a half-fuzzy/ half-dreamy style that works particularly well throughout the winding, tendril-like song structures. The underlying component to all of this, however, is Tender Souvenirs' skill in layering: the songs themselves are presented as one massive and synchronized crescendo, with each additional layer adding to the dramatic and intrinsically cinematic mood of the album. In specific, songs like "Emergency Broadcast System" and album closer "Safe Hands" stand out in their execution of this theme. Overall, Scars & Souvenirs represents an exceptional debut, and certainly provides a solid foundation for the band to build and evolve around. With any luck, Tender Souvenirs should shortly become a household name in the post-rock and Swedish indie arenas alike.