“Crikey Ails! What we putting in the beer down the surf club. It’s all coming up post rock down under,” is exactly what Ray Meagher’s character Alf would have said if he was sent as many post rock albums by Birds Robe as I am.
Well this time it is an E.P by Sydneysiders Solkyri (these bands are always from Sydney must be something about the art scene there – Melbourne keeps spewing out killer punk bands as does Queensland) .
No House originally came out 10 years ago and is being re- released as part of Birds Robe anniversary. I am reviewing this from a Bandcamp link before the CD has even hit my hallway so am just going on the music not the gorgeous presentation that seems to be a staple of Birds Robe’s releases.
No House is six tracks of emotive, luscious sounding post rock that fit perfectly well together with a craft-person’s precision, tongue and groove rock if you will.
Whether the quartet are banging out ten-minute epics like the centrepiece that is “Strangers” or comparative snippets like “Ze Germans” or “Young Man you will die of this company” each note or beat is accounted for. The use of percussion brass and synthesized strings throughout creates a beatific sense of movement and emotion that transcends the need for words. Even the use of sirens in closer “Slowly, We Take Steps (Astronaut)” adds atmosphere and another instrument rather than the sense of urban decay that their use often denotes in music.
“Ze Germans” is horn heavy, a dark Le Carre-esque theme with a loan trumpeter serenading Smiley stopping for a coffee near the Brandenburg gate in my mind.
“Court A “ has a sultry dream pop air with cymbals crashing like soft waves – fuck’s sake this genre has me trotting out Mills and Boone style prose . Woodwind cuts over the top of a jazzy beat and things take on a more surreal proggy air. Is that a flute? I need to improve my classical ear. There is funk in the drums and bass and things get heavier and I get some Yob vibes – kinda Yob meets Jethro Tull with Mogwai. The flute (?) starts to reverb and resonate in a post black way and Alcest springs to mind before the drums become a distant heartbeat with keys and a plucked guitar as the verdict is delivered to a public gallery of fae folk.
“This can’t Wait” sounds like a Wedding Present title and in some ways the track shares some traits with Mr Gedge’s Mancunian releases. Starting with a Devin Townsend feel, Solkyri lay down a soulful melancholy piece that also reminds me of (We Were) Electrocute by Hot Topic reps Type O’ Negative.
The aforementioned “Strangers” is a banger. I know, I know how can a ten-minute track be described as such. But it is. It’s beginning is lilting and fresh, like waking up in Egyptian cotton sheets and spying your significant other’s buttocks glowing in the new sun next to you. A fresh pot of coffee and some freshly squeezed OJ and this track and all is right with the world. But it appears that the rump you saw may not have been your love. Things start to take a mysterious turn and clouds appear overhead. The music builds in tempo and intensity and I am feeling like a guy hurriedly looking for my clothes and an alibi. Aaaaaaaaaagh! This is what good instrumental music should be. It can take you on a trip without narration. All of a sudden, I am finding blood on my hands and can hear footsteps up the stairs. Fuck! Where is that OJ moment! Maybe it was all a dream tough as we end on gentle piano. Thank fuck for that.
Well after that rollercoaster the xylophone intro of “Young Man you will die of this company” is light relief and ushers in a joyous track with childish crashing drums and happy trumpets. This is sloppy jazzy fun under a strawberry blancmange sky. It is making me grin!
Suddenly I am at the end and “Slowly, We take Steps (astronaut) is laying down a heartbreaking melody with a large dose of hope which only makes it worse – the swines! Who are those sirens for? Oh shit!
If this was the debut from ten years ago, I certainly need to check out their more recent output and hopefully see them at ArCTangenT (or however it is typed) next year.
Birds Robe are reissuing everything at the mo so maybe to save postage and the trees used to make digipaks I should just say – if you like big sounding emotive post rock that paints beautiful sonic pictures buy that labels stuff.
(8/10 Matt Mason)
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