Explosions in the Sky - "End"
The chill you need to end your anxiety
Explosions in the Sky is a Texas-based instrumental Post-Rock band, and they’ve been around for 20+ years now. End is their 8th full-length album.
Like Post-Metal, Post-Rock takes the traditional Rock instruments and tropes, breaks them apart, and reassembles it all into something that only vaguely resembles the parent genre. End sounds vaguely Rock-adjacent, but it’s more atmospheric; there are guitars present, but the music is never guitar-forward.
Rather, with the exception of a few minimalist interludes within tracks, there’s typically at least 3-5 elements going at once — varying guitars, keyboard, percussion, synth, and piano are all omnipresent, and each element carries its own line, creating a beautiful mesh as it all comes together.
It’s not overly complex. Nothing on this album ever demands your attention. It’s the musical equivalent of pausing in the middle of your daily routine and noticing how absurdly beautiful something is, basking in it for a few minutes, then going on your way.
If you need something for background music or something to relax to, this album is a must.
If you just like good instrumental music, or you’re a fan of other atmospheric Post-Rock bands (see Sigur Ros), put this one on your list.
Rating: Green