Self-Evident - The Traveler Review written by: Alexandru Bergauer

Self-Evident - The Traveler Review written by: Alexandru Bergauer

TPost-Rock with vocals


he compilation album tends to get a bad rep in the industry, usually because it functions as a possible assortment of odds-and-ends that often doesn�t paint an entire picture of any given band. Self-Evident�s latest release bucks that trend. �The Traveler� is indeed a grab bag of older songs, a few new ones and two covers added too for good measure. But it is anything but scatterbrained. Instead, this guitar rock band uses this opportunity to showcase their strengths through 8 songs which have huge variations from tightly-coiled math rock to more emotional and melodic post-rock.

With a three member line-up consisting of just bass, drums and guitar, Self-Evident manages to wring quite a bit using this fairly traditional set-up. Indeed, the band�s sound is based around establishing complex melodic interplay between all three members and harnessing their energy in tight, punchy songs that rarely stray after dark 4 minute mark. Something like �Salvaged� starts off by showcasing Conrad Mach�s voice amid relaxed instrumentation, before Ben Johnston's drums hit as well as the entire song pushes forward inside a maelstrom of stop-and-start rhythms and complicated riffage. Meanwhile, �Drowned in Flames�, the longest song here, can also be perhaps one of the loveliest, with catchy guitar lines underpinning a hard-hitting drum pattern. Finally, something like �Swell� reveals the band�s softer side, with tender lyrics pining for something that seems to be just out of the narrator�s reach.

What�s perhaps most remarkable is the place the band integrates the two songs that originally belonged to other artists. By paying tribute to Chicago�s Bear Claw ("Loaded Down with Static") and Oklahoma City�s Traindodge (�Drowned in Flames�), they open about some of their influences and interests in fellow rock bands. Self-Evident has developed quite a singular sound on their 18 years together, so even these tracks match seamlessly with the other material about the album, while still honoring the originals they were based on. By including songs that were recorded far aside from each other (both �A New Way� and �House� are fresh from the oven, while something like �Time Capsule� dates back to 2004) this guitar rock band practically invites comparisons between newer and older material. However, such concerns are moot in the face of Self-Evident�s remarkable consistency. It is a band that knew the way it wanted to sound and possesses worked hard to achieve that goal. Recorded at Mousetrap and Signaturetone Studios in Norman, OK and Minneapolis, MN, respectively, the album advantages from a crisp production that enables the songs to sound bright and clear. Best Post Rock

The best math rock albums try to put a human discuss top of all that technicality. From Don Caballero�s �2� to Marnie Stern�s �In Development of the Broken Arm�, this genre has produced its great number of bright artists desperate to explore the limits of guitar-based music. Unlike progressive rock for instance, which can sometimes focus on complexity for complexity�s sake (math rock rarely features something that could traditionally resemble �solos�) the nucleus of math rock requires melodic interplay, often between your rhythm section and also the main guitar lines or riffs. Self-Evident has this down pat: they weave intricate patterns across varied keys and time signatures, with all the end result being math-rock of the highest order. You will find their latest release, �The Traveler�, in shops starting May 26th.

Home / Contact Us

© Copyright 2014 | Powered by Yola.com