THE EARTH IS NOT A COLD DEAD PLACE

Explosions in the Sky's Pandora box, metaphysical relief world, continued with "The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place" even more elegantly and intriguingly than its predecessor. Each detail is carefully handed with consummated subtlety, and mixed with some inspired soundscapes, transforming this approach in the hymn of their vision of music, their most achieved sensible artwork so far.

First track recreates Mankind resurgence, a 3 part suite, from the very Dark Side of the Moon's heartbeat beginning, to a state of ethereal joyfulness (more again the high-pitched guitars give a hand on this aspect) ending in a laboriously catharses, as nostalgia/introspectiveness arrives in a painful subconscious emergence. Second track "The Only Moment We Were Alone" states precisely this necessity of being alone subdued to this ego adaptation, while the beautiful recital "Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean", starting with a beautiful elegy of subtle acoustic guitars intercruzade which beyond transform in an intense feeling of metaphysical sadness, slowly becomes to show glimpses of a new arousal. "Memorial" functions as a paradox of the previous album "A Poor Man's Memory" - here Past is seen definitely from a mature, risen soul, the one who is cured from the previous traumas, looking them not with existential anguish, but indeed something to learn for. Something for the future, which, is somewhat foreseen in the ingenious romantic feeling of "Your Hand in Mine", ending the album with a joyful hope.

Atmospheric, beautiful and touching. Although here or there we have the feeling of a Godspeed You! Black Emperor's dynamics dejavu, this is an imposing work, embracing different feelings - the sum of this band's art. 4,5 stars.