Explosions In The Sky
The Rescue

THE REVIEW

Approaching a genre like post rock, there can be two opposing reactions: either one remains indifferent to such a crass use of "nostalgic" melodies and sounds, or one is enraptured, lulled by sweet notes that have the gift of making us forget everything else. Personally, approaching this genre, I experienced the latter reaction, but above all, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the multiplicity of post rock realities in the entire world panorama. After delving into the music of bands like God is an astronaut, The ascent of Everest, and Mogwai in particular (along with other lesser-known bands), I decided to immerse myself in the melancholic spaces of Explosions in the sky, a band originating from Texas.

The group is capable of blending atmospheres from distant metallic worlds, from forgotten places, generating ethereal light reflections of cities immersed in the power of the night, touching on the assertiveness of the arid stretches of Texas, all landscapes evoked through their magmatic fusion. All in one great cauldron. From these more or less traced directives in the band's past history comes the mini album The rescue, released by Temporary Residence in 2005. An album that can be understood as a brief journey through the Texas plains, through a friendly nature evoked by the sweet notes of the guitars of the duo Rayani and Smith, examples of eclectic, nostalgic, simple guitarism absolutely suitable for the band's atmospheres. This journey has a constant factor that is represented by emotions: post rock is a genre that leverages the sentimentality of the listener, and Explosions in the sky emphasize this through brief compositions where their melancholic attitude immediately emerges (more so in The rescue than in other works).

The cacophonic complexity of other records is set aside here in favor of a linearity that gives the work ample breathing space, starting from the first track, "Day one", which represents a great opening. The album declines with the ensuing episodes and then picks up again with the sweet guitar pulses starting from "Day five", creating a play of emotions and memories that deliver new, pleasant sensations. Eight pieces that are not demanding at all, flowing smoothly, bringing peace to the soul. The dazzling storm of emotions generated in other works by the Texan band is here subdued, becoming "only" a light, ephemeral, dreamy rain...

1. "Day One" (4:32)
2. "Day Two" (3:48)
3. "Day Three" (4:34)
4. "Day Four" (3:00)
5. "Day Five" (4:35)
6. "Day Six" (5:18)
7. "Day Seven" (4:23)
8. "Day Eight" (2:35)