Explosions In The Sky

Austin's Explosions In The Sky have become known for dramatic mini guitar symphonies that carry with them a special, nimble charm that is accessible for the masses. Their later material reined-in, and sometimes expanded on this concept, but in my opinion, their debut album still remains their unequivocal best. Which is in stark contrast to the bands' own feelings, as they've regularly expressed a certain level of embarrassment over the record. They had been in the band for less than a year, none of them had been in a studio before, and it shows. When they eventually got signed for their second album, the band remembers: "The four of us were convinced that we had made a terrible mistake thinking that we could record an album that a label would actually send to stores for people to buy."

But through this guilelessness—or Innocence, if you will—they managed to take seven impressionistic song-sketches, and color them with life. In these seven peaks and valleys, we find so much hope, so much joy, and so much vulnerability. There is heart and passion, while also retaining a certain looseness that could have only come from a youthful band that was unsure of what they were really tapping into, but going ahead with it anyway. The bare heart captured on this album does far more than any 'technique' they may have cultivated as their career moved forward. Of course they may have gotten 'tighter' or 'more professional' by some standards. But on this one, they give it their youthful best and after two days of recording, one mixing, and one mastering, we arrive at the other end with a deeply profound, somehow erudite statement.
Each song is a gem, each moment a treasure.