So while I am studying today, I have set myself the goal of listening to all 4 main
Explosions in the Sky studio albums in chronological order. As I study, I am going to write a short summary of what I think of each individual track of each individual album, and then possibly write a short summary of the album as a cohesive whole at the very end. I’m going to split it into four parts, one for each album. It’s going to be really long and really self-indulgent, and I doubt anyone will read it, but whatever, this should be fun. Let’s get this shit done.
(And in case you don’t know me, yes, I have listened to all four albums multiple times and I like all of them to varying degrees. The only one I am not so familiar with is How Strange, Innocence.)
How Strange, Innocence
Track One: A Song For Our Fathers
Sick bassline, almost definitely among the best that the band has to offer, right up there with Memorial. The track is rather uneventful aside from that until right about halfway through, where everything explodes in true Explosions in the Sky fashion. Granted, they don’t have the same wall of distortion that they started using on later albums, but it has a really nice melody and the drumming packs a lot of punch. Then it calms down and explodes AGAIN with a really noisy guitargasm that is even better than the first one. Just a shame it doesn’t last as long. The track fades out shortly after.
Rating: 8/10
Track Two: Snow and Lights
I really hate the intro to this song… it’s kind of dissonant and I don’t like the tone of the guitar at all. Thankfully, that doesn’t last long, and the ensuing chaos is rather blissful. There isn’t much to say apart from that: the song erodes into a quiet, contemplative guitar line for a while, before the drums come back in and support the melodies with a rather nice ride-assisted beat. A rather nice build-up follows; slow burning for several minutes before fading back down without hitting any sort of climax. It all seems rather pointless before they begin ascending in volume yet again, more intensely than before, assisted by persistent drum rolls, building and building and building, returning again to the opening guitar riff. (Thankfully, this time it’s buried beneath the cacophony) The track ends on that note.
Rating: 7/10
Track Three: Magic Hours
Again, I dislike the tone of the guitar at the beginning, but as soon as the drums and bass enter, the track attains a sort of mesmerizing quality to it, the kind of quality that works so well when you’re listening to music while in bed trying to get to sleep. The track meanders along for a few minutes, sounding pleasant but not really making much of a lasting impression. That is, until around 4:40, when urgent-sounding drumming begins pulsing in the background of a rather ominous guitar riff. Just before the six minute mark, things begin to get even more intense, and serrated, heavily distorted guitar begins pouring out of the left speaker… at somewhere around the seven minute mark, the song explodes into a crashing frenzy of cymbals and distortion, the kind of thing they’d later perfect on songs such as The Only Moment We Were Alone. This song would probably fucking SLAY live when things actually get moving.
Rating: 8/10
Track Four: Look Into The Air
This song begins with a nice, airy, summery sort of guitar riff. Immediately when the full band joins, it’s clear that this song is far more optimistic, hopeful, and somewhat dreamlike, especially in comparison to Magic Hours, which conveys a different mood entirely. It’s also a lot shorter, clocking in at a modest 5:26. It’s a sense of relief, almost, and the song is extremely pleasant in nature. It almost sounds like it could benefit from some vocal work and lyrics, as instrumentally it is not very complex, but then again this is Explosions in the Sky, and that is a no-go.
At 3:42, however, a sudden torrent of distortion permeates a sudden silence, and the song seems to begin again. When the band rejoins the fray, a similar mood to the first half of the track is regained, albeit behind a curtain of overdriven guitar this time rather than a pleasantly moderate tone. It’s a rather effective ending.
I should mention that this song fits its title so perfectly that it really does have to be heard to be believed.
Rating: 8/10
Track Five: Glittering Blackness
Another fairly dark song title, and it begins like an outtake from Mogwai’s Young Team; an oppressive, melancholy guitar riff opens things up nicely, shortly followed by echoing ride cymbals and steady drumming. At 1:00 Mogwai comparisons are further cemented, as the song erupts into a torrent of distortion not unlike Like Herod or Mogwai Fear Satan; of course it’s nowhere near as cacophonous as Herod, but it’s definitely the loudest point on the album up to that point. After calming down a little, at around 2:45 the song decides it wants to explode again, but doesn’t – it’s a truly memorable moment that will probably have new listeners brace themselves for a tsunami that never comes. The same guitar motifs are repeated until the end of the track, and despite changes in dynamics, the song never really gets in your face again. Good song, but honestly it’s quite forgettable.
Rating: 7/10
Track Six: Time Stops
With this song, we’re back up into epic song lengths. The preceding tracks both clock in at moderate sub-six minute lengths. Time Stops is monstrous, almost touching the double-digit mark and nestling nicely at 9:55. It starts off really nicely, with awesomely melodic guitar chords played over the top of a pleasing guitar line. This continues, meandering in and out of consciousness, supported by two notes repeated by the bass every so often. At about 3:19, an unidentifiable instrument (I don’t want to name the wrong instrument at the risk of sounding like a fucking idiot, can anyone clarify?) joins in, providing a rather emotional backbone to the guitar duo.
At 4:47 the song changes dramatically, with some trademark arpeggios suddenly changing the mood from one of relaxation to one of alertness. The song thus builds up and up: drums join the fray, one guitar becomes distorted… at 6:08, out come the crash cymbals, and everything makes sense: the song reaches its emotional peak, and it is right here that Explosions in the Sky sound most like their later incarnations. This song, bar the rough production, would not sound out of place on Those Who Tell The Truth or All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, though it does not quite possess the elegance required to fit onto The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place.
This is another song that would “fucking destroy” at a live concert. I can already picture Munaf, Mark, and Michael going mental in front of Chris, who is currently beating the living shit out of his snare drum and pounding away like it’s nobody’s business. Simply epic shit, my friends, and without a doubt the finest track on the album in terms of composition and overall musical excellence, even if it’s lacking the distinction of A Song For Our Fathers or the undeniably great vibes sent out by Look Into The Air.
Time Stops makes good use of every single second of its ten-minute duration, gradually building up and up into undoubtedly the finest climax on the disc. No other song on How Strange, Innocence hints at what would later become THE post-rock band better than this one. Simply astonishing.
Rating: 9/10
Track Seven: Remember Me As A Time of Day
Without a doubt the most memorable title on the disc, and it also makes its presence known by introducing, unless my ears are horribly mistaken, acoustic, or at least acoustic-electric, guitars into the mix. Melodically, it is definitely a fitting closer: the guitar riffs are profound, conclusive, emotional… hopeful. Although the song doesn’t stick around enough to make a truly lasting impression, this song contains the kind of atmosphere Explosions in the Sky would of course base an entire album around (The Earth…) and as such, it’s a suitable closer to a strong debut album, despite its few shortcomings and overall patchy production.
Rating: 7/10
Summary
How Strange, Innocence definitely pales in comparison to all three albums I am going to listen to shortly after I type this paragraph. It lacks the majesty, compositional distinction, eloquence, and production values that Explosions in the Sky would later include in their work, but at the same time, it possesses a sort of raw charm that the other albums strangely lack.
To me, this album is the pure, undiluted sound of four men in a recording studio writing songs and jamming them out with the kind of passion that few other bands possess. The production is imperfect, the playing is imperfect, but that is part of what makes this record so undeniably charismatic. This album is raw. There is no bullshit contained within this album’s duration.
So despite some obvious shortcomings on the production side of things, How Strange, Innocence serves as a commendable debut album for a band that would later stand head and shoulders above almost every band (whether willingly or unwillingly) lumped into the post-rock scene. And it’s worth listening to simply on those merits.
Rating: 7.7/10
Explosions in the Sky
Lovesong