All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

I have always been fascinated by this band because of the people who are interested in them, as well as their name. Listening to Explosions in the Sky for this review was my first experience of them. I have to admit, I pretty much fell in love at first listen. The simultaneous wash and wall of sound is incredibly emotional, which is enormously challenging for an instrumental band. More and more, I am fascinated by Temporary Residence's releases, as Envy, labelmates of Explosions in the Sky, is my favorite live band.

In "The Birth and the Death of the Day," the first song on this release, the timing of the drums coming in full force is completely breathtaking. I definitely felt like this record needed more than one listen to fully grasp, and I felt like being on a bit of a journey with its creators. I was excited to read in their one-sheet that this band has avoided jumping to a major label despite offers, and has opted not to play LiveNation/Clear Channel venues as much as possible. I get inspired by bands, whose genre would often presuppose such decisions, that make alternate ones.

The record was produced by John Congleton (The Roots, The Mountain Goats) and is worth a listen for the brilliant engineering alone. I was particularly impressed with the incorporation of the piano on "What Do You Go Home To?." It is prominent and crisp, sitting tastefully in the mix of the other instruments. This is a great record to have when you want to lie in bed and think unadulterated thoughts; it almost feels meditative. I hope to catch them live really soon and would be interested to see how they pull it off.

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