ALL OF A SUDDEN I MISS EVERYONE

Explosions in the sky have rightfully earned their place as one of the premiere bands of the post-rock scene. Albums like How Strange, Innocence, and The Earth is Not a Dead Cold Place, have nearly become cornerstones in the genre's foundations (well, definitely the latter, but the previous album is debatable). Their most recent endeavor, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, continues their signature sound of gentle, lush guitars to create a soothing, almost trance-like atmosphere, and at the same time incorporating piano to create more earthly elements.

The album's opener, the brooding "The Birth and Death of the Day", starts the album with a bang and sets a tone for almost the entire album. From the get go, the guitars create a moody but sultry atmosphere, with minute percussion in the background to create a gentle, vibrant soundscape before a climax hits and a maelstrom of wailing guitars skews the frail atmosphere in a haunting fashion.

Later songs like the 13 minute "It's Natural to Be Afraid" combine powerful piano chords with a swirl of melodic and varied guitars that create a tense and gripping atmosphere. Like many compositions by Explosions in the Sky, the song shifts almost seamlessly between noisy and quiet sections, creating the feeling of passing through a storm and witnessing its calm.

The album isn't without its faults. For starters, the album is very short for modern standards, barely reaching forty five minutes throughout the six songs on the album. Secondly, some might not be receptive to the repetitive and nearly droning musical style the group has embraced, as there's little to no variety between the songs. However, despite these faults, the creative songwriting and the inspiring musical ideas more than outweigh what one could consider an error on the part of the band.

All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone takes everything Explosions in the Sky has stylistically achieved thus far and expands upon them with nuances and twists that make this record something different from the rest. It's surely something that fans of post-rock won't want to miss.