A Closer Listen
Post-rock returned with a roar this year as three of the scene’s stalwarts, with discographies stretching back 20, 25 and 30 years, proved that they remain relevant. But this article celebrates far more than just post-rock. We also include a folk album from Beirut, devotional music from Ohio and a score of African percussion. A strong global presence is apparent, reminding us of our connection, even in a time of disarray. The very existence of this music is a sign of encouragement.
This is the last of 2024’s specialty lists; tomorrow we will unveil ACL’s Top 20 releases, chosen from the 70 we’ve covered in the last week. Today, we hope you’ll enjoy our diverse selection of the year’s best releases in Rock, Post-Rock, Folk and Jazz!
Anoice ~ Stories in White (Ricco)
Stories in White completes a trilogy that began in 2012 with The Black Rain, an early reaction to the Tōhoku earthquake. Seven years later, the band released Ghost in the Clocks, then surprised us in 2024 with a final installment. The illustrations of Yoko Shinto unite the releases in look, while the twin sense of drama and pathos unites them in tone. Over time, the trilogy became more than a single-subject work, as the pieces recalled earlier disasters while serving as a universal plea for peace. As multiple threats surfaced around the globe, the music grew even more relevant, and while Stories in White is brilliant, the trilogy deserves to be heard as a whole. (Richard Allen)
Original Review
Farah Kaddour ~ Badā (Asadun Alay)
A long-necked lute with a longer history, the buzuq is an expressive instrument in the hands of a virtuoso. Combining a rich folk tradition with Arabic classical music and Western influences, Kaddour extends the possibilities of her instrument. She astonishes the listener, especially in the improvisational tracks. Racing through ideas and across strings, this is music to invigorate and amaze. (Samuel Rogers)
Original Review
Godspeed You! Black Emperor ~ “NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD” (Constellation)
Over the course of their career Godspeed You! Black Emperor have put their unique mark on the post-rock landscape. Regularly incorporating field recordings and longer stretches of pensive reflection, the band ventures into more pessimistic territory than some of their contemporaries that makes their climactic catharses feel well-earned. No Title As of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead, as the title indicates, is not shy in asserting its political urgency. Over the course of six tracks, three of them over eleven minutes long, the band make a powerful statement of resilience. The album is bombastic, surprisingly melodic, and ultimately, optimistic. It’s one of the best albums from a reliably high-performing group of musicians. (Jennifer Smart)
Original Review
Hour ~ Ease the Work (Dear Life)
Recorded in an old theatre in Maine before the holiday season started, Hour’s third album is often light and airy, full of image and melody. Composed by Michael Cormier-O’Leary and performed by a dozen-strong ensemble, Ease The Work retains a freshness that the recording session must have fostered. It’s definitely a chamber work – think The Sea & Cake or Brokeback but with a string ensemble and no vocals – with all the musicians playing with a sympathetic restraint. The few moments when the need for a resolution bubbles to the surface consequently have more impact. But this is an album that charms the listener; a record that is this understated shouldn’t be overlooked. (Jeremy Bye)
Original Review
KASHIWA Daisuke ~ Ice (Virgin Babylon)
KASHIWA Daisuke released two albums this year, one maximalist and one minimalist. We prefer the excess of the former, which contains a 21-minute track that in comparison with earlier works might even be called short. The beats frolic about as the strings swing from melody to melody, a light voice occasionally riding above it all. The first half of the album goes all out, to the point of overload, which is precisely the point; as more subtle influences begin to sprout, the contrast is exquisite. (Richard Allen)
Original Review
MONO ~ OATH (Temporary Residence Ltd.)
If you were looking for an album that showcased the essentials of guitar-based post-rock, Oath would easily fit the bill. While lately the band have hinted at different paths to be possibly taken in terms of style, this recording represents an extremely high level – if not the pinnacle – of craft within the confines of the genre. Gone are the sometimes sentimental qualities of its narratives-turned-melodrama, the too-tense coherence between electric and acoustic instruments, the fixation on build-ups and grand climaxes and its quiet-loud dynamic… What’s left is forceful expression, an incredibly tight alignment between instruments, and a much more complex structure, all of which allow us to powerfully feel as if there were no mediation, to find ourselves in the middle of a rock music without words and be shaken to the core like never before. If anything, it shows us the way the genre should always be like. (David Murrieta Flores)
Original Review
Nick Tripi ~ Loud World
Reviewedback in January, this record is ready to inject some fun energy into wintertime once again. Tripi blends high-energy guitar and percussion with hallucinatory swirls of synth and keys. The rhythms are crisp; the mood is joyful. This a retro vision of loud, multicolour future. The one-man band at the space station cocktail bar plays some great music. (Samuel Rogers)
Original Review
Powers/Rolin Duo ~ Clearing (Astral Editions)
There must have been a temptation to call this partnership the Rollin’ Power Duo given the charge that crackles through “Peridot”, the first side of Clearing. There’s electricity in the room as Matthew J Rolin’s guitar duels with Jen Power’s hammered dulcimer for the nearly 20-minute duration. There’s eventually a calm resolution but, wow, the journey is bracing. “Albatross” is the literal flip-side, a calmer piece that shimmers like a heat haze in the desert. The understanding between the players is next level – busy but never crowded, in a scenario where either instrument could be the sole lead. It’s a magical experience. (Jeremy Bye)
Original Review
Randal Fisher & Dexter Story ~ Wenge (Constellation Tatsu)
Though it belongs in our rock and jazz section, this is a record thriving on gradual exploration of texture and tone. Mallet striking key; hand striking hand; breath split by reed. Fisher and Story produce relaxed, life-affirming jazz. Their influences and instruments are globetrotting, whilst their compositions create a sense of rootedness and belonging. (Samuel Rogers)
Original Review
Travis Laplante ~ The Golden Lock
For those who know Travis Laplante via his tenor sax quartet, Battle Trance, or through his duo with the versatile and adventurous trumpeter Peter Evans for NNA Tapes, The Golden Lock presents a very different side of the composer, with none of the droning dissonance and only occasional moments of intensity. The Golden Lock takes its name and compositional inspiration from a 12th century Taoist ode which Laplante, a Qigong practitioner, channeled into the development of this seven-part piece. Joined by Erika Dohi on piano, Charles Overton on harp, Lizzie Burns on double bass, and percussion from Eduardo Leandro, Laplante’s tenor floats above the ensemble, unfolding relaxedly against an elegant backdrop. The various instruments are given solo moments, not in the sense of virtuosic displays but rather variations on a theme. While there are occasional moments of raw intensity, the suite relies on simple melodies desired from explorations of harmonic motion. Less an exercise in technical sophistication, Laplante allows the composition to unlock itself from the inside. (Joseph Sannicandro)
Original Review
Thu Dec 19 00:01:34 GMT 2024