There's something elegant about the music on the new album from Explosions in the Sky. End, out today via Temporary Residence, is ostensibly an album about death. But amid a look at the finality of things, what's here pulses with life and a kind of energy.
"Ten Billion People" pops with purpose, moving forward with real pep, while "Loved Ones" builds and builds. You don't even miss vocals on something like this, but you can only imagine them in your head, and where they'd go. Elsewhere, "The Fight" has a vibe like a Philip Glass piece, while closer "It's Never Going to Stop" edges itself towards a suggestion of the infinite. That it also calls to mind Mogwai is another plus.
The patterns, rhythms, and hooks of this stuff all work to conjure up a mood. Unlike the instrumentatls of a band like The Messthetics, those of Explosions in the Sky don't really challenge a listener in a big way. This material sort of soothes, and rarely pushes a button that's going to make you want to turn this off. That said, there's enough invention here to keep your mind and heart going while you play it. I can sort of appreciate this on those simple terms, and applaud the musicians involved as they pursue their own modest goals.
End by Explosions in the Sky is out today via Temporary Residence.
[Photo: Explosions in the Sky Bandcamp]