CARRY ME HOME

Continuing their saga of symphonic post rock with this 2009 endeavour, 'Carry Me Home' only develops on a theme the band has been working with since the dawn of their career. Loss Of A Child have developed a small but loyal fanbase due to their focus on album-long musical journies; taking rock instruments and more classically inclined instruments (such as the piano and violin) and melding them together in an atmospheric, dense soundscape. This latest installment certainly improves on the overall production and tightness of the band. However, it feels as if it is missing some of the really memorable, beautiful and stunning moments that were so prevalent on the less developed albums.

As I have said, Loss Of A Child concentrates on making 'a long suite' when making an album; a running piece of music that lasts the entire disc. Compared to their earlier work, the cohesion and flow between songs is a bit off, although the whole work begins and ends with the same beautiful piano theme. Although it definately looks like the band tried to tie the songs in together, it feels more like a 'copy n' paste' effort than anything else, and no track really compliments another in a meaningful way.

As is with much post rock, alot of catchiness and pop appeal is shed to make way for atmosphere and dense soundscapes. While there are many melodies and musical ideas that recur throughout the piece, there are very few parts that are memorable and ring a bell after listening. However, that does not evade the fact that during the listen itself, the collage of sounds itself is beautiful, especially with the band's improved use of string sections and a more moderated use of piano to give dynamic to the music.

The unquestioned highlight of this work is the heart churning masterpiece 'All The While.' This is a track that begged to be played on repeat; everything from the build-up to the beautiful guitar riffage over perfectly chosen chords proves that Loss Of A Child is indeed, a talented and unique act in a crowded music genre.

This band has certainly impressed me more with some of the earlier work, but this stands as arguably being the best the band has sounded from a technical standpoint. With a little more dynamic and structure to the challenging sound of this great UK band, I have no doubt that Loss Of A Child will be able to craft a real classic in the scene that will finally get them noticed for their efforts.