A Closer Listen
Yes, Schipol holds the post-rock staples: repetitive riffs, layers, dynamics and lengthy tracks, but those are about all the clichés you’ll find.
Hailing from Austin, TX, My Education has been creating sounds since 1999. Their cast of members has rotated over the years, but has held firm with guitars, bass, drums and viola, plus interwoven keys, vibes and pedal steel when appropriate. Along with releasing their eighth record this March, the band’s discography also includes an eloquent original movie score to the silent film Sunrise, which showcases their extensive and branching abilities.
Schipol finds the band completely harmonized within itself. The alluringly brief intro, aptly titled “Intro,” acts as an opening similar to an orchestra finding their tuning. Then one’s head starts to bob to the opening riff of “Open Marriages.” The distorted bass is the backbone of the rhythm and entering the ‘verse,’ the band shows that they’re not afraid to get the blood pumping and the heart pounding. The dark piano line and sustained guitar feedback of “Coordinates” eventually explode into an ending that will leave listeners captivated, thirsting for what follows. Along the way, the steady drums and acoustic of “Grey An” deliver an air of simplicity. Over seven minutes, the track deals out a viola and pedal steel that intertwine so well that at times the two instruments sound indistinguishable.
The generous Open Marriages + Remixes EP serves as the teaser for the main project. These remixes are fun, plain and simple ~ a great method of collaboration through experimentation. In this collection, “Open Marriages” is cut up, rearranged and layered by a variety of friends. The seven remixes show the beauty in their musical minds, displaying vastly different approaches along with their distant outcomes.
During the production of Schipol, the band spoke on the creation of themes within the tracks, such as loss, fear, and paranoia. If there’s any truth to this, they’ve left the listener feeling the exact opposite: spirited and found. (Drew Lundberg)
Release date: 3 March
Fri Feb 24 00:01:50 GMT 2017