Do Make Say Think
Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn

Fascinating, evocative, and inspired, this fourth album by the Canadian ensemble Do Make Say Think, once again released by Constellation Records (the same label as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion, just to be clear). “Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn” is divided into three periods (further divided into three tracks each), each characterized by its own mood. The work exudes a fluctuating atmosphere, where melancholic, haunting, and dramatic moments alternate with joyful or purely tranquil ones.
The environment in which our ears find themselves is that of instrumental Post-rock.

The album opens with the first trio of tracks where the guitars play the role of "playmaker": “Federicia”, “War On Want” (more of an interlude), and “Auberge Le Mouton Noir” are the pieces that make it up. “Outer Inner & Secret” introduces us to the heart of “Winter Hymn...”; it starts slowly, tangling onto itself, then proceeds with a couple of crescendos before finding the outlet for the explosion (in the middle section) and the final implosion. The fifth track, the dreamy and harmonious “107 Reasons Why”, is breathtaking, while the acrobatic “Ontario Plates” closes the second cycle characterized by irregular jazz pulses. The epilogue of this cascade of sounds is entrusted to the final experimental noise-rock trio: “Horns Of A Rabbit”, “It’s Gonna Rain”, and the splendid “Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!”, a true gem.

The Canadian collective, despite navigating the well-charted waters of the genre, manages to maintain its personal approach and deliver a wonderful album. The artistic qualities are indisputable (arrangements impeccably curated) and the inspiration is certainly not lacking (a dizzying mix of emotions), although they do owe a “small” debt to GY!BE.