THE EARTH IS NOT A COLD DEAD PLACE

I have recently had a set of post-rock revelations, getting into first Mogwai, then Sigur Ros, and now Explosions in the Sky. My main attraction to the genre is the way it is capable of making me feel, and how each of the albums I've listened to recently affects me in different ways. Mogwai's Happy Songs For Happy People, for example, brought on a mad rush of emotions that were hard to sort out. Sigur Ros's Agaetis Byrjun, however, simply made me feel calm, relaxed, and happy. Explosions in the Sky's The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place gives me many feelings, putting me directly into the situations described by the song titles.

Take First Breath After Coma (the album opener) as an example. For all nine and a half minutes, I feel like I am in the presence of a loved one who has just awoken from a coma. With Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean, I feel tranquil and relaxed, as if I were alone below the waves, safely watching the ocean around me. Each of the other three songs affects me in a similar manner.

The songs on the album are all long, between eight and eleven minutes, but they never get boring. Unlike many bands, Explosions in the Sky has enough ideas to fill five songs of this length, and that is what they do. Perfectly. They don't try to push too far and add too much. Because of the lengths of the songs, most have multiple climaxes, usually with a small one in the middle and then a great big one that closes out the song. The build-ups are slower than Mogwai's or Sigur Ros's, but Explosions in the Sky have done very well here, and never lost the listener's interest. While somewhat formulaic, it is a good formula, and Explosions in the Sky has perfected it.

One thing I particularly like about post-rock is that while it seems to rely on two things: soft interludes/build-ups and pounding climaxes, it never gets old, because each individual band does it differently. With The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place, Explosions in the Sky scored a winner in their own style, and I expect my enjoyment will only grow with future listens. While I prefer Agaetis Byrjun and Happy Songs For Happy People to this album, you can't go wrong with any of them. This album is no downer, and receives a well-earned three stars. Recommended.!