Review Summary: An incredibly haunting and personal collection of songs, filled with sparse melodic passages and an incredible sense of nostalgia.
This is an album and a band that is almost impossible to review. However speaking about the emotions that rise and fall as one listens to this album is easier, as this album is nostalgia in an easily listenable audio form. While their previous release followed a slightly more positive tone, 'In All The Empty Houses' tackles themes such as loss, change and decay, showcasing a more mature and somber sound. It will take you back to the days when things were so much simpler, when you were young and the weight of the world had not yet placed itself upon your shoulders. It's all the pictures on the wall, it's the dreams that take you around the world and back every night. It's the first time you fell in love and it's the first time you had a broken heart. Epic45 have given birth to something truly magical in the form of six breathtaking songs, creating an atmospheric symphony each time with the simplest of melodies, while never getting carried away like so many bands of a similar nature tend to do.
The instrumentation itself is certainty an unconventional, however thoroughly enjoyable mix. In a sense it's similar to many other more prominent post rock artists of the modern day, however the focus always remains on ambling along a gentle path instead of building up to a cacophony of noise. The music achieves this through a combination of soft acoustic melodies and laid back electronics. Using these sounds they cover a wide range of genres; 'Daylight Ghosts' and 'In The Empty Houses' being the prime example of the diverse ground covered. 'Daylight Ghosts' is an especially tough one to classify, with 'ambient stadium anthem' being the best terms that come to mind. Kicking off with a lively and happy sounding acoustic riff, strings and vocals slowly fade in along with a running bass riff that makes the song feel like it's been taken straight from U2's catalogue. However this will never be a song that makes it to the stadium arena; it's much too subtle, a suitable soundtrack for watching the sun rise over empty city streets.
On the other hand we have 'In The Empty Houses'. In a way it's the polar opposite of the previous track and would not feel out of place on Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works Vol II', Moby's 'Wait For Me' or anything from the Sigur Rós repertoire. It's got a laid back dreamy feel, and the echoing guitar notes work hand in hand with the general ambiance; a complementary score to lying on lying on your back and staring up at the starry night sky. 'Their Voices In The Rafter' is another stellar composition and a truly haunting one at that, which needs to be watched with it's accompanying video for the more intimate experience. The band have outdone themselves here, and weaved memories among the music; overlaying sounds recorded many years ago from the village hall, where members of the band had birthday parties as children. It's a incredibly eeirie effect, taking you back to time that's long gone. As with much of the rest of the album, a gentle acoustic picked riff forms the backbones of the song and is accompanied by slow shuffling drums, mellow solos, strings, bass and even bells. It's certainly music with many layers, and the thick texture gives it a complexity that other bands need to use speed and fancy playing to achieve. But sometimes keeping it simple is what it takes and if you're a fan of laid back post rock, dreamy ambient pop and haunting heart felt melodies, then download the album and simply immerse yourself in the music and the journey it takes you on.
Listen To:
Daylight Ghosts
In All The Empty Buildings
Ghosts On Tape
