Apse is a band that has no equal. I'm not saying they are the best band on the planet, yet. I am just saying that they cannot be compared to other bands, which makes writing a review difficult. Those who try and conjure up comparisons always come off sounding far fetched and forceful. It's like trying to shove a huge acoustic black cloud of warm static into a hallmark blue sky; something just doesn't fit.
And that's what Apse's music is, it is huge. Thick, abrasive, hurdling in a thousand directions, while at the same time, melodic, composed, symphonic. I have watched the progression of their style since their first EP, and on each release, they have tracks that are like arrows on a map, pointing me in the direction they are heading, without ever telling me where I actually am, or where I might end up.
At first it was the gentle harmonics on "Black trees/Blue sky" guiding me into a sea of guitars. Then on Three Dialogues it was the acoustic opening of "For an errand or a fleet". Then, I remember hearing "Keep" for the first time. When everything drops out and leaves just the plucking guitar strings and vocals, I felt a sense of awe as a musician, the "I wish I had written this song" type of feeling. And now on Spirit, Apse is once again breaking musical ground, giving me another arrow on the map.
Are they Rock? Ambient? Psychedelic? Indie? Prog? Tribal? All of the above? Check. Ezer Lichtenstein will pound you into the ground with his beats and leave you begging for more when the time is right, but he also can give just the right cymbal stoke in a moment of madness when the song calls for it. The guitars blend together, separate, strike, then meditate. But the biggest growth this album shows is the full presence of Robert Toher's amazing, strange, cryptic, beautiful singing (he has sung on their last two releases as well, but this album makes it clear that his singing isn’t an afterthought). I am usually such a stickler for being able to understand lyrics; I can't even enjoy Radiohead's albums fully until I read all the lyrics. But with Apse something is different. I guess I have come to the understanding that the vocals are meant to be just where they are, sometimes upfront, sometimes just a melody, sometimes an almost demonic chant, and other times a sweet poem written for a ghost. I actually enjoy listening to these tracks over and over to understand what Robert is saying, and when I can't, I enjoy his voice as an instrument which guides the intensity of the songs.
All in all, Apse is a band that I am sure will continue to defy genres, impress listeners, and make original music. And since they can’t seem to get away from it, I’ll explain what the comparison to Pink Floyd really means: When Pink Floyd came out with an album, you could be sure it wouldn't sound like anything you had ever heard. They didn't even sound like other Pink Floyd albums you owned. And that is what Apse does. They do something which is familiar and new at the same time. They are not afraid to take risks, try new things, change. Their "sound" is one that they leave undefined, blurry at the corners. It keeps them just on the breaking edge of music without letting them tumble off into lame post-rock nonsense. I still listen to each release of theirs, and find things I love about each one, and yet, they lack a true comparable element to each other, let alone another band. Buy Spirit or any of their EP’s, and you will have a new music experience to enjoy. How often can you truly say that about an album? And if you really want the full effect, I recommend putting on some headphones and taking a walk through the woods while listening to Spirit, you will probably feel like you are in the craziest movie you’ve ever seen. Trust me.
-Sam Dillon
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment