A Closer Listen
Grails does not release a lot of music, but every release has been solid, so we’re not complaining. Anches En Maat is their first album in six years, their first in fifteen years to be recorded together in the studio, and the beginning of their third decade as a band. That last fact alone is worth celebrating. More importantly, Grails hasn’t just survived the passage of time, the quintet has remained relevant by changing with the times ~ even if, ironically, those changes involve the incorporation of retro flavors.
Grails’ early albums were guitar-heavy post-rock excursions with hints of doomjazz and psychedelica. Midway through their career, their timbre became more cinematic, while the boundaries between Grails and side project Lilacs & Champagne began to blur. The group went from channeling Morricone (which they still do) to establishing what one might call a signature sound ~ or at least the signature sound of the modern Grails. Opening cut “Sad & Illegal” pretty much nails it, with dark synth introducing the drums and guitar. The strings enter halfway in, altering the entire tone to something one might expect from Air: referencing the past and making it their own. The Morricone guitar surfaces early in “Viktor’s Night Map,” but doesn’t dominate; it’s more of a marker for fans, a reminder that Grails continues to honor its influences.
Unlike many bands on the post-rock spectrum, Grails is more interested in mood than peaks and valleys. The stringed breakdown of “Sisters of Bilitis” (whose title recalls the first lesbian political group in the U.S.) seems like a passage George Harrison might have penned for The Beatles. After this it does get louder, but not cacophonous. “Evening Song” rises, expands, but never explodes, with “ah-ahs” prefacing a brief brass segment. The piece concludes in soft, reflective ivory.
The entire album tilts toward the 12:38 title track, waiting at the end of the universe like a black hole. “Anches En Maat” is as patient as a painter, making the most of the time it has been given. The brass expansion at 2:34 recalls Bacharach, the retro soundtrack tones retracting and then reappearing, alternating with dronelike structures closer to those found in contemporary film scores. One wonders if Grails might one day head in that direction.
As the notes fade to gossamer threads, an ambient haze remains. Grails is no longer as loud as it once was, yet its music is deeper and more mysterious. The collage of styles reflects the cover art. In different segments, Grails may sound like different artists; but nobody sounds like Grails, not anymore, a stellar achievement for what is now a veteran band. (Richard Allen)
Wed Sep 13 00:01:25 GMT 2023