MACHINE! FIRE! GHOST!

What is this? An entire EP of atmospheric Post Rock, available for complimentary download from the band's own web site (www.1099band.com, not their MySpace page; you can also hear all four tracks right here at Prog Archives), and so far it has only one other written review? Either there's been an epidemic of lethargy here, or else the global economy is stronger than we've been led to believe, and free quality music is no longer a fiscal necessity.

The debut studio effort from this new combo from western Norway offers a quartet of strong but ethereal guitar-based instrumentals, clearly modeled after but in no way an imitation of such established Post Rock acts like MOGWAI and GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR (wherever they insist on locating that pesky exclamation mark). 1099's music is equally awesome at times, but with a more subtle, introspective sound perhaps reflecting the midnight sun moodiness of the band's Scandinavian origins.

Check out, for example, the untitled third track of the EP, a haunting guitar dirge of subdued power, building over what sounds like a found lecture on philosophy toward a distorted crescendo not unlike an EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY epiphany (high praise, from this fan). The music then segues gracefully into the oddly titled 'ik+', a long (almost twelve minutes) hypnotic piece repeating a simple, ENO-esque chord sequence in an escalating variety of probably simple but to these ears very challenging time signatures.

A final word: what might seem like a conservative three-star rating is only an acknowledgement of the group's untapped potential. Their initial offering might be secondhand Post Rock, but while it breaks no new ground the EP does at least plant a strong seed, and with careful nurturing this band might grow into something truly special (as of this writing, a follow-up EP is due any day now).