A rather random gem arrived in our inbox yesterday from the Canadian post-rock experimentalists In Light Of, whose somnolent sounds exist in an ethereal cocoon wrapped up somewhere between Sigur Ros and Mogwai. With rippling guitars, ambient noise layered into the mix from a bank of a thousand reverb pedals and metronomic drumming, ‘Little Treasures’ is a mesmerizing, five-track EP that gently tugs at the emotions with its swirling melodies. Interestingly, although the EP sounds remarkably live, the members of the band – Jason Greenberg and Sandy Johnston – have never set foot in the same room together, piecing the EP together from elements they sent to one another. It is a strikingly modern approach to music making, and yet the results remain rooted in the post-rock aesthetic of the mid-90s.
Opening with the slow-motion tumble of ‘Bless your heart’, the EP slowly pervades the senses, building toward an epic climax of arcing noise and layer after layer of blazing guitar. Like ‘Young Team’-era Mogwai, the band know how to temper their approach, deftly switching from monstrous tsunamis of noise to haunting beauty and back again as the needs of the song determine. Delicate and haunting, ‘Cardinal song’ has a hint of early U2 in the rhythmic pulse of the reverb, whilst the synth-percussion keeps the song from exploding too fiercely, although, as real drums return to the fold, so the guitars gain a more muscular tone. The EP’s title track, which is also the shortest piece on offer, is simply beautiful, steadfastly maintaining its equilibrium over a folksy backdrop that eschews noise for something rather more delicate. ‘Ascending’ offers up a sweet piano refrain layered in distortion, as if the band were afraid of allowing such an intimate moment to be heard unfiltered, and the song builds nicely without ever escaping the leash. Hints of a vocal appear in the latter stages of the song (although no lyrics) and it’s a strangely affecting piece, awash with late-night regret and a keening for something more. The EP ends with ‘Harmonico’, a grander song with an epic sweep to it (despite its short, four-minute run time) that sees the guitars wound up to mellifluous peaks, swathed in distortion but not heavy in any traditional sense of the word. Like Mogwai at their most transcendent, it’s loud, but in a celebratory sense, and when it dissipates, leaving only a wash of reverb, there’s a sense of loss that encourages you to play it all over again.
In Light Of may have taken the unusual step of piecing this EP together online, but the actual songs belie such technological chicanery and remain faithful to the groundwork laid out by the likes of Mogwai, Slint, Arab Strap and their ilk. It’s perfectly recorded, undeniably beautiful and it provides the perfect late-night soundtrack for post-rock fans, but it remains a familiar template and it would be nice to hear the band push the boundaries further on a full-length outing. Nonetheless, ‘Little Treasures’ is a gorgeous EP, full of spirit that perfectly lives up to its name. 8
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