FALLING DEEPER

If you love the modern Anathema sound - lush, sweeping, lovely, melancholic, cathartic - then Falling Deeper is a great supplementary addition to your library. If you don't love Anathema's sound, well then I sort of feel sorry for you, because you're missing out on one of the most beautiful voices in modern art rock. Though Falling Deeper is an instrumental re imagining of the band's older material, it stands up excellently alongside the group's recent material.

Falling Deeper utilizes sparse, mid to slow tempo palettes of sound that are made achingly emotional by use of acoustic instruments and orchestration. The moods shift between the nostalgically romantic, grief stricken, somnolent, and bereft. These are my interpretations of what is largely instrumental music, and as I think about it I realize how unappealing this might make Falling Deeper sound to those on the fence; however, that shouldn't dissuade you if you're looking for a subtle and sensation-rich album to add to your library.

Cavanaugh and the band treat us again with excellent performances, mature compositions, and genuine pathos. Recommended, though new fans to Anathema should definitely check out their more "normal" albums first.

Songwriting: 4 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: NA - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4