James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
The opening track ‘Set Guitars to Kill’ is ostentatious and immediately lets the listener know a simple fact about ASIWYFA: they can seriously play guitar with phenomenal ability. Personal favourites from their EP ‘This is Our Machine and Nothing Can Stop It’ that have been re-recorded are ‘I Capture Castles’ and ‘The Voiceless’. Exhibiting wonderful exploration of post-rock, the heavy riffs engulf you, while the softer moments are as beautiful and memorable as Sigur Ros.
‘The Voiceless’ also acts as a paradigm of ASIWYFA’s power of the crescendo. Despite the title, it almost as a sing-a-long quality and is, I say from experience, a spectacle in the live performances. ‘A Little Bit of Solidarity Goes a Long Way’ also adds some math-rock complexity to their repertoire. ASIWYFA change time signatures and tempos with ease and so the pace of the album is relentless and destructive.
'Eat the City, Eat It Whole' is a softer denouement in this 60 plus minutes of post-rock magic. It is melancholic and almost nostalgic. It ends with explosively but instead of hitting the ground running, it is one of ASIWYFA’s more slow-burning abrasive tracks.
This breathtaking debut is a must-hear for all fans of post-rock. In a genre difficult to master, ASIWYFA have truly presented something unforgettable. With complex guitar riffs, drums that sometimes sound like Animal from the Muppets is a band member and masterful contrasts between heavy rock and softer tones make it an album you have to hear over and over.
Post-rock is supposed to overwhelm and immerse you in the music; it is not meant to be in-your-face loud noises. ASIWYFA have taken this to heart and the result is sensational.
And So I Watch You From Afar: MySpace
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