Plaid ‎– Heaven's Door

In what seems like a very long wait for a new Plaid album comes this stop gap soundtrack. I admit, i have no real interest in the movie, and only got this because it was Plaid. Having been very ho hum about Greedy Baby, i was interested to see if Plaid could transcend the trappings of their sound. I'm not saying their sound is anything bad, and their first 4 records post Black Dog were each brilliant in their on ways, giving up some very special songs that resonate as some of my all time favorites. However, with Greedy Baby, it just felt too much like i had been to that party before, and in a more substantial way on previous outings. Much to my delight, this collection of songs finds Plaid in fine form. I was somewhat half expecting something mellower, more acoustic sounding, and oddly enough, that is what appears here. Obviously, the movie would have directed some of the mood of the resulting soundtrack, and perhaps it being a Japanese movie also helped the process along, but i would say this is some of the most refreshing music that i have heard from these fellows in some time.

There is never enough rhythm to overwhelm the melodies, and there is always a constant restraint in their layering on this record which lets each melody of each song really stand out. This album also has one of the strongest finishes of any Plaid album, as, starting with Durban Pain and cruising to the end of the record, there is a succession of tracks that continue to give me Goosebumps when i listen to them.

I sincerely hope that this more plaintive, elegiac direction taken with this work will follow into the next Plaid album proper, as although this record does not reinvent their sound, it takes it in a direction just different enough that i have started to get very excited thinking of what they may do next. I recommend you pick this up and have no doubts about the quality of music you will receive, soundtrack or no.