Shapes Stars Make - These Mountains Are Safe
Rating
RIYL
Sigur RosAmerican Football
Mono
Release Date
01/19/2010
Label
Dreamt RecordsTracklist
1. Giant Bird2. Le Dodici
3. (We are) The Hurting
4. Be Gentle, Young One
5. Sunrise
6. Fireflies and Lights
7. The Calm
8. And the Sky Opened
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OK, first, a declaration. I’ve never been high. The reason I make this disclaimer is because I’ve read that bands like Dallas’ post-rock band Shapes Stars Make make “come-down” music. Since I haven’t had the experience of coming down off a chemically-induced high, I’m a bit unsure of what appeals to people trying to calm themselves after partying. But if Shapes Stars Make’s album These Mountains Are Safe is representative of it, then come-down music must consist of long songs that start off slow. Then slowly build in intensity. And then slowly fade out. Some might call this music come-down music, but I call These Mountains are Safe an exercise in lazy songwriting.
Shapes Stars Make are a three-piece combo who have been making music together for a little over two years now. Based on the success of their self-titled EP, they signed on with Dreamt Records and set about making this album. Sadly, it seems they still only had an EP’s worth of material for this album. It starts off very well with “Giant Bird”—an interesting instrumental which sets the tone for their sound. It begins with an idea and keeps being built up and having new layers added to it. After this slow start, it then builds in intensity to reach a crescendo ¾ of the way through. Then it fades out. This is standard post-rock stuff. All in all, not ground-breaking music, but it's done with evident passion and grandiosity. Then comes “Le Dodici,” which comes in a flurry of jazzy drumming with their meandering playing above it. Thankfully, though, at 2:57 in length, they don’t overstay their welcome on this song. The third track “(We Are) The Hurting” surprisingly starts off with vocals, and it is a pleasing song... until halfway through when they close down the song oriented section of the track and start jamming. This turns out to be the turning point of the album, because this is when the promise of their ability becomes crushed under the weight of their seriousness. And, oh yes, they are very serious.
At this point in the album, the songs become “post-rock by numbers” -- tempos between 70-90 bpm, no changes in the instruments’ sounds, slow-burning type music. It becomes clear that this band is determined to be taken seriously because they milk every possible opportunity to go from soft to loud and then back again. You know how Everclear came out with “Santa Monica” and you heard the “bum-bum-bum-bum-ba-bum-ba” beat and it sounded fresh and exciting, and then three albums later, they’re still using the same beat and you’re yelling at them, “Come ON! Is that all you’ve got?” By the end of this album, I find myself asking the same thing of Shapes Stars Make, which is incredibly frustrating.
On the band’s Myspace page, they list themselves as a rock/visual/experimental band, which means that they might be a very interesting band to see live (pictures of them on the website do look very cool). However, you can’t put the visual on a conventional for-sale CD, and that’s a problem. Shapes Stars Make has not proven themselves to be capable of making an interesting album.
--David Toothman
Comments
Minnesota
I thought this was a pretty decent, chill album. Makes great background music.
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Good review, David. The album doesn't sound that great and yet I'm intrigued...
Galloway, OH
Thanks, Matt, that 's what I aim for. Rick, I agree that it makes good background music. But ifthat'sone of the best things you can say about it, then it doesn't say much. In my book, if it'sbackground music, then anybody could have done it and it really doesn't challenge the listener. It's Muzak, only with soft to loud dynamics. :) Seriously, I couldn't tell one song from another.
I guess this proves that it's all a matter of opinion or preference. I actually really like this band. The more I listen to it, the more I like it and hear something that I hadn't heard before. Technically, it is beyond impressive what they are doing as a three piece!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q36B2__Epow
Minnesota
Well, by background music I meant that it works well as something that is not overly intrusive. "Background music" I can understand might be viewed with a negative connotation, but I didn't intend it that way. Simply more of an expression of the type of music on the album--inoffensive, chill, and relaxing.
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Wisconsin
i need to hear thiss