WINTER HYMN COUNTRY HYMN SECRET HYMN

Not to put to fine a point on things but Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn is Do Make Say Think's best album to date. What permeates it is a quite unique organic and Autumnal atmosphere. The usual hallmarks of post-rock instrumental variations are present. For example, slow gradual progressions followed by sudden flourishes of sound, but here the intricate guitar and influences offer many more significant changes that prior Do Make Say Think releases have been (perhaps unfairly at times) accused of lacking. This is a sticking point with a lot of this form of music. Where through out the lengthy tracks associated with post-rock lack variety. This can't be applied easily to this release. It's varied and has a totally unique sound compared with there previous releases and other bands on the Constellation label and beyond. Take first track 'Frederica', with it's orchestral cut-ups and slowly building intricate guitars as a good starting point.

The only downside to this album is it could mark the bands creative peak, whereby any ideas going forward will be repetitions. This could explain the comparitively lengthy gap of three years between the release of this album and the next, as yet unreleased album. There are not many albums I would apply 5 stars to and granted I may have been tempted to go with 4 and a half if the option was there but this release is definitely better than just excellent. It's the best release in there discography to date, and betters there famous label mates, so it's getting a 5 from me.