Casting off the invisible chains which bind you to the Earth, you let yourself float upwards into the beckoning sky, painted hues of orange, purple, green and red by the setting of the sun. There is no noise but the faint rustling of leaves which move with the passing of a summer's breeze below you as you soar effortlessly towards the coming night. You glide over rolling hills of soft grass, sometimes close enough to reach out your hand and touch the green blur which flows beneath you. Feelings of hope, awe, joy and sadness crest over you as the horizon peels away and you fire into the quiet emptiness of space. That is how one could describe the experience of listening to the beautifully cinematic album "The Earth is Not A Cold Dead Place" by Explosions in the Sky
Lonely guitar licks building to layered duets, punctuated by the fierce marching of drums are the elements which define this album. It ebbs and flows with moments of passionate energy followed by sad interludes which build again to joyful climax, only to fall away once more. There are no vocals to speak of —this effort is entirely instrumental —yet the complexity of emotion which is presented here without the benefit of lyrics is astonishing.
Having experienced a recent tragedy in my own life, I can say that The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place is the perfect companion for even the bleakest of outlooks. It is a recording which reflects the inherent beauty in the world, even when it seems all hope is lost. This may all sound like pretentious bullshit to someone who hasn't had the good fortune of listening to Explosions in the Sky, but I promise you: to listen to this album is to fall in love with it.
Explosions in the Sky on Myspace:
No comments:
Post a Comment