SUNRISE

Such a diversified collection of songs! It's mind-boggling to try to keep remembering that this is one group, one album--and supposedly a soundtrack! (To F.W. MURNAU [yes, of Nosferatu fame]'s 1927 silent film, "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.")

1. "Sunset" --chamber symphonietta in the style of KRONOS QUARTET and PHILLIP GLASS meet CLINT MANSELL. Absolutely beautiful, haunting, and certainly worthy of video accompaniment. 10/10

2. "City Woman" --starts as a slow song in the more typical Math/Post Rock format and style--vibes, drum kit, electric guitar, saw-like electric violin and keyboard drones--all while covering their own version of PINK FLOYD's intro section to "Time." Then, at the 3:05 mark, we suddenly switch channels for a 25 second "Fiddler on the Roof" interlude before the song kicks back in for a kind of Celtic-Middle Eastern version of Floyd's "One of These Days"--adding, of course, the Post Rock climax, crescendo, and decay. 8/10

3. "Lust" is another absolutely stunning song sounding like heroin-influenced version of JEAN-LUC PONTY's "New Country" with Jean-Luc playing with ALGERNON and COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE. This song, more than all the others, makes me want to watch the movie--just to see how the music and film match up and make me feel. A must hear! 10/10

4. "Oars" begins rather eerily with some awesome treated cymbols and percussive sounds before gelling and building as a powerful and rather concise (in the Post Rock world) rendering of more familiar post-rock music. Straightforward and loud yet melodic. More like a very polished, mature MOGWAI, RED SPAROWES or CASPIAN song. Great! 9/10

5. "Peasant Dance" has the feel of a rockified Rumanian/Gypsy dance. Not my favorite song on the album, but, then again, I don't know what it is from the film that they're trying to capture with this song. A very different piece for this album--upbeat but in that vodka-doused Russian/Eastern European way. Interesting instrumentation combinations. 6/10

6. "A Man Alone" is an amazingly full-spectrum ambient soundscape that BRIAN ENO would be very proud of. One of the best I've ever heard. Great addition to my "Songs for the Shadow" meditation playlist. 10/10

7. "Sunrise," the album's closer (a 40-minute soundtrack for a 95-minute film?), offers a recapitulation of many of the themes and sounds from the previous songs within the minimalist strings/chamber music framework of the opener, "Sunset." An absolutely gorgeous and truly cinematic closer--I can almost see the film's finale and the rolling of the credits! 10/10

While not a masterpiece, it is definitely one of the best albums of 2010--the one I listen to more than any other. Masterful and so beautiful. An excellent additioni to any prog lovers collection.