AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR

I am excited as this is my first stop in revisiting this great band, and I'll be reviewing and rating accordingly, from release to release. I first came across ASIWYFA around 2015, following the evidently very fresh drop of their latest at the time, Heirs, released that year and put on repeat by me throughout that whole year [One of the few albums that I turned my now ex-girlfriend onto. You're so welcome, Sarah hahaha]. I loved that album. I recall it taking not a lot of time until I delved deeper and deeper into their discography. I'm realizing now that I have a severe enough blind spot: I, a purported fan, am yet to hear their two EPs that preceded this and at least one other minor release just after. This can and will be resolved to the best of my ability.

With the memorable and by now relatively well known "Set Guitars to Kill", we are introduced to And So I Watch You From Afar's darker beginnings: compare their self-titled and Gangs (2011) to what they do on All Hail Bright Futures (2013) and Heirs (2015). This first track is also evidence to their unique, on-brand fusion of Math Rock, Post-Rock and Prog elements.

Certainly in the midst of darkness and moodiness, we get glints of light and optimism, as on the next [where we get a lot of brightness], the beautiful and [very-mini-]epic "A Little Bit of Solidarity goes a Long Way". Awesome main riff and compositionally highly appealing and striking. More recognizably Post-Rock in structure on this one: Very big and loud, falling away to a sizeable swelling, emotive section to end things out. Starkly juxtaposed is another that I remember very well from first tom roll, "Clench Fists, Grit Teeth...Go!" This song features stronger Math Rock elements, calling back to The Redneck Manifesto to my ears. Then it's much more inherently themselves, using a recognizable heaviness that will continue on through The Letters EP to Gangs. Anyways, very good song.

"I Capture Castles", ever an interesting title, is also one that just takes me back. The echoing guitar riffs cascade over each other and over rolling drums. This is a big'n; heavy and intense. It's compositionally somewhat static compared to some others and in classic Post-Rock fashion (I'm not really a fan of the genre). One I loved back then; not so much now. "Start a Band" is one that in title and in sound does not ring a bell at all... I started to wonder why [/s], but then nearing minute 2 we have some interest. Cool coalescing riffs, often on the upbeat, over very cool drums.

One that I didn't recognize title-wise, but was very familiar sonically was "Tip of the Hat, Punch in the Face", a very upbeat [to use the word in a different way] song. Fun! And it certainly is holding my attention much more successfully than "I Capture Castles". I should have listened to this one even more back in the day haha. Midway hits and shifts yet again, as if not a lot had already happened here in the first two minutes. Immediately (apparently) just as awesome as the last, "If it ain't Broke... Break It" (har-har) is heavy. Pretty good.

And indeed, we were warned ~13 years ago, because indeed "These Riots are just the Beginning" haha. It starts off low and slow enough, but then builds to a "Hah!", the signature exclamation that things are about to go down. Once again, pretty good. Heavy but fun. If we haven't gotten enough suggestions and council, now it's "Don't Waste Time Doing Things You Hate". As a hedonist myself, I must say it's a great idea. And so, like I'm doing here, listen to albums from your past love and appreciation and enjoy. And indeed, this track has plenty to offer me, all these years later. Some of their earliest vocal parts occur here as well. We get a lot of that on All Hail and Heirs. Great song. Not their most progressive, but again having a lot to offer. Especially those with happy, joyful ears. :)

"The Voiceless" starts off with huge drums, like blasts of artillery shot right into our ears. Another with which I'm less enthusiastic, as we're back into the static of Post-Rockin' territory. And so finally, we have "Eat the City, Eat it Whole". This feels so classic somehow. Very satisfactory melody builds and eventually swells harder than they've gone on the entire release. As I like to put it, welcome to Frisson country... I'm feelin' this one. When it couldn't get any bigger and better, it shifts and morphs and we are in a fast jog. Hurried and then rushed. I don't remember this song being so good. Yet another big'n and therefore an excellent closer.