SAXON SHORE

When I think of post rock greats, I think of bands that are inventive, emotional, dynamic, and orchestral. I think of Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, A Silver Mt. Zion, and even Oceansize. Those bands (among others) have defined the sound and refined the sound. I think of the texture of velvet or leather. Then there are a few other bands like God is an Astronaut and Saxon Shore that have attempted to popularize it and it makes me think of plastic. These bands have taken post rock and twisted it back to the mass public. This is the type of album you get when that happens. An album of music without a lot of heart. An album full of music that is underdeveloped and without the emotion.

That is also how this album comes across. These are mostly short post-rock sounding songs that most reviewers say are aimed at those people who like the post-rock sound but don't have the patience to wait for the climactic part of the song. Well, that would work fine I suppose if all post-rock was cut from the same mold. And I suppose a lot of the copycat bands do follow the same formula. However, the best bands explore and refine the formula, even move away from it. There are also a lot of post-rock bands that do shorter songs and still do them with emotion and originality, like Mogwai. I don't get that feeling with this album. I feel like I am listening to music that has been done before. This is post-rock with all the good stuff taken out of it. It is entry-level post-rock. Sure it has some fine moments, but I think those moments are reached by accident more than through musicianship. There is one excellent track on this album and that is "A Greatness at the Cost of Goodness". Other than that track, you get several short to medium sized tracks that don't explore much and that sound like they are making music based on a bunch of clichés, trying to take the post-rock formula and breaking it down to it's fundamentals, but leaving out everything that makes it original. It's almost like they are turning the genre into everything it is trying to stand against.

That is my main complaint with this album. It has no heart. That's a pretty big complaint. I can't call it poor because the production is good. I have to give it at least 3 stars because it is post-rock after all, but it just is not essential, groundbreaking, and it has no heart.

A delicate, beautiful brand of post-rock is brought vividly to life on The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore. Choosing not to take the easy way out and go for the melancholy, apocalyptic soundscapes of the likes of Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor, the band might not play the most complex or experimental post-rock out there, but they prove to be exceptionally good at creating a calming, soothing, tranquil atmosphere which makes the album something of an antidote to the more bleak and hopeless works in the genre. Maybe it is "post-rock for people who don't like post-rock", but I think open-minded post-rock fans will find something to enjoy here too.

Saxon Shore, you're a very talented band and I'm glad I picked this album up. It shows great promise and I'll likely pick up another album you guys put out.

I just don't find myself listening to this one very often.

There are many interesting aspects of this album, like the acoustic approach and the overall rhythm of the album but on the whole, it just doesn't blow me away.

I enjoy it when I do listen but never really feel inclined to.

Hopefully on the bands later albums they create some hook that will make me want to listen more, they really do play well and have some great ideas.

So yes, as it has already been stated, this is post-rock for those not into post-rock. Saxon Shore plays simple, straightforward, and wholly inspiring music. These guys emphasize melody, keeping structures concise but effective, and layers discernable but thick. The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore, the band's first bonafide full-length establishes itself as an excellent starting point for those hesitant and/or doubtful about the genre. Typically being much more complex and drawn out in arrangement, but minimalistic in sound, post-rock needs to be given a lot of time to click with virgin ears; bands like God Is an Astronaut and especially this one seek to provide a different approach. What we're given here is a mix of typical post-rock tones and dynamics laced with some electronics with an unusually positive mood. This music sounds so accessible I can picture some of it coming from the cars of teenage girls. Because of this, or perhaps causing this, is a generally superficial feeling I get from this disc. It has melody, it has sweeping layers of seemingly powerful, emotional instrumentation, but by the end of the first few tracks, I can't help but think that it all sounds rather forced. I'm not actually getting absorbed by the band's fiery musical passion. Not to say this is the case the whole time, though. Certainly I found myself touched by some of the passages, but I often felt like the songs either sounded too heavily composed and therefore mechanical or missing some auditory imagery. However, several of these tunes seem perfect as supporting music for a visual. Coincidentally, the track "Marked with the Knowledge" was aptly used for a Sony commercial a few months ago. I was so inspired I almost bought whatever device they were selling at the time, but much like this record, the item has been forgotten.

I'll grant that this album is solid. With all of the melodies and positive vibes spewing from this recording, it's hard not to like. It's easy to enjoy at first, but I wouldn't be surprised if it loses its draw after the first listen. The band has the right ideas, but they haven't perfected their craft. As it stands, really this band might only be good for people who don't like post-rock. Fans of the genre may not get much out of Saxon Shore, but they shouldn't pass up the opportunity to hear them. Maybe the group's simple, optimistic ambience will hit a sweet spot they didn't know existed. Though the album's title says otherwise, the band has a bright future ahead of them, so long as they loosen up a bit. Hopefully next time around the visuals will be painted by the music.

If your looking for some challenging music look elsewhere, but if you just want to enjoy some melodic, bright and accessible Post-Rock you've come to the right place. There is some good variety on this one as well with spacey synths and programming mixed with energetic guitars and heaviness.

"The Revolution Will Be Streaming" opens with those spacey sounds I was talking about as keys are gently played. Drums, then a full sound a minute in. There is a nice rhythm to this one. A calm 4 minutes in to end it. Great start. "This Shameless Moment" opens with softly played keys as other sounds come in and build. Guitars and drums lead the way as the song never quite explodes but it does get powerful at times. Excellent tune. "With A Red Suit You Will Become A Man" opens with some programming as heavy drums come in with guitar. The guitar is so good on this track. It really reminds me of THE CURE. Very melodic and a favourite of mine. "Silence Lends A Face To The Soul" features slow paced guitar notes as synths wash in the background. This is so emotional for some reason. It's slowly building until 3 1/2 minutes in when the guitar screams out, then the song calms to a whisper. Incredible. "Isolation By The Secrets Of Your Fellow Men" opens with synths as programmed sounds come in. Guitar and light drums 1 1/2 minutes in and build. Love the guitar 3 minutes in as it lays down some scorching melodies. It settles down a little before one last powerful section after 4 minutes, that goes on for 3 minutes. Nice.

"The Shaping Of A Helpless Joy" opens with spacey sounds as keys and then a full sound with drums replace it. Before 1 1/2 minutes it becomes an uptempo track with some great melodic guitar. That spacey sound is back briefly. This is a fun,energetic track that ends as it began. "Marked With The Knowledge" opens with a light keyboard melody that is joined before a minute by a full sound. Some blistering guitar 2 minutes in. It ends with spacey synths. "A Greatness At The Cost Of Goodness" opens with a beautiful spacey passage that is quite moving. After 1 1/2 minutes the tempo picks up with drums and keys before drifting back into this heavenly, lush, spacey sound again. This contrast continues and then 3 1/2 minutes in the song bursts with guitar leading the way. I again love the spacey PORCUPINE TREE / NOSOUND-like ending. "How We Conquered The Western World On Horseback" is laid back to begin with and then bass, guitar and drums create a melody that is tasteful and melodic. "The Lame Shall Enter First" is a cool title and something that Jesus would say. It's spacey to begin with for 1 1/2 minutes, and then heavy drums pound away with a full sound to follow. It starts to get fairly powerful until we reach the most explosive part of the record 4 1/2 minutes in. Killer sound. They've entered !

This one took me a while to really appreciate, but i really dig this band and the way they contrast the spacey sounds with the typical Post-Rock soundscapes.

The Post-rock album for impatient people?

As anyone that listens to post-rock will tell you that one of the key factor in appreciating bands from the genre is patience. Without it then it's pretty much impossible to enjoy it. A Sigur Ros song could bore you to tears or a Godspeed You! Black Emperor epic you'll be fast asleep even before a single note even gets played. This is one of the things that many people don't like about the genre, but there's still hope! Some bands just don't like to be quiet and other bands don't want you waiting for the good parts in their music. One of those bands is Saxon Shore.

Saxon Shore is what I would call the antidepressant of post-rock along with Yndi Halda (just look at their album title) and others since they make the most joyful post-rock I've heard. If A Silver Mt. Zion can get you depressed by the end of one album, antidepressant post-rock can get you out of the depression by the end of one song! It's still very emotional despite all the energy they have, but in a more optimistic way. Since they don't have any build-ups every song sound like a climax without the wait. There are still some songs that calms down the energy of the album like in "Silence Lends a Face to the Soul". It's a good song that adds some well needed balance to the energetic album without changing its optimistic mood. It's also accessible, not too complex and very melodic like most post-rock. Sadly their sound is too safe and it doesn't try to differ from their neighbors, but from what they lack in originality they make up for a great album. Their sound also has some bits and pieces of electronica which adds a nice little touch to their sound.

If you're looking for a post-rock band that isn't trying to bore you or doesn't test your patience then Saxon Shore is for you. If you're looking for the bright, powerful and charismatic side of post-rock then this band is also for you, but don't expect something original or different from the other bands. While there are still flaws they're doing music a bit more accessible for people who have trouble getting into the genre because of the slow nature of most of the bands.

Give it a try, it's pretty hard not to fall in love with it.