All You've Seen - Mavu (2024)

The post-rock landscape of Switzerland doesn't stop surprise me, when I think that in such a smal country, there can't be more excellent bands of the genre, I find one more. So after Glaston, Hubris. and all the other, it's time to present All You've Seen on this blog, especially that at the end of last year, they released a fantastic album filled with slow but poignant guitar music.

And also because this is ot a new band. Their releases track back as far as 2009 and still, our musical paths hadn't crossed before. And it's very suspicious as I find that they play this kind of post-rock that is the closest to my heart: slow and dark, moody and dangerous. One would say glacial, but that would be an overused adjective for a Swiss band I'm sure. "A sense of awe overtakes me when I behold this world that can only be revealed by my innermost self", this is only an excerpt from a longer description of the album on the band's Bandcamp page and I have to say that it certainly sounds like something Alcest would write about their music.

And it's pretty much spot on. The poetic way of describing the music is perfect since the music is poetic itself. It is oneiric to the point where you can't tell the dream from reality around you. Especially when it becomes overwhelming, filled with this kind of sonic grandeur that fill you with awe with little room for any other thoughts (as it is the case in procession).

Mavu costs whatever you want to pay.

Check: procession

Country: Switzerland

Genre: atmospheric post-rock

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SPANAWAY - Songs of Yesteryear (2024)

The Pennsylvania band's sophomore album is clearly more appreciate than the debut, and his to be said that their Nothing-like nugaze with more focus on melodies and less on the noise has everything to be one of the most important releases of the last quarter of 2024.

Nothing was the first thing that I came to my mind while listening to Songs of Yesteryear: there is something very familiar in the vocals and the high-quality guitar backgrounds. In fact, their PR company advertises the album talking about "alt-rock masterpiece" with "lush, heartbroken songs" and comparing it to Nothing among other artists. The only difference between the two bands is that SPANAWAY really focus on the melodies and catchiness of their song as well as the soft cushion of the vocals that accompanies the listener on every step while the noisy aspect of nugaze is less prominent (even if it appears from time to time like in Terrible).

But it's not a problem, especially that I like the sadder face of the album with songs like Twenty Seven or Born to Lose so I'm labeling them in my head as Sadder Nothing and I hope they'd like it.

Songs of Yesteryear costs 7 USD.

Check: Twenty Seven

Country: Pennsylvania, US

Genre: melancholic nugaze

Label: Burial Whisper

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Wale Fall - Five (2024)

It's almost five years since this Los Angeles band appeared on the blog with their fourth album. As the title of the new one suggests, I haven't missed any of their releases in the way and it's a good thing as the Americans offer a quality guitar-based post-rock soaked with their own unique style based on the use of brass instruments.

The touch of the brass instruments sound is certainly something that makes the band unique. In fact, the album is opened by El Jinete, a track that revolves around, what I presume is, the traditional Mexican trumpet music. I mean I know it from westerns and Zorro probably, but this is my association, and, if it's correct, I like the fact that the Californian band embraces the region's history and channels it in their music. Unique and coherent. But the band use even more unorthodox instrument, like cello that adds to the atmospheric side of their music.

But the overall vibes on the album are less atmospheric or noisy and more into the melodic nature of instrumental music. In fact, I'd say it's music that sits on the verge of what we consider post-rock and it's a good thing too. This is also strengthen by the act that the musicians also stress how important improvisation is for their creative process, making me think less of post-rock and more of other instrumental-only genres. Regardless, a unique album with great music (and some sense of humour too in some of the track titles). 

Five costs 7 USD.

Whale Fall - It Will Become Itself (2020)

Check: Fjord Lightning

Country: California, US

Genre: melodic post-rock

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Shentov, Simitchiev, Lukanov - Pain and Power (2024)

Amek Collective always brings to my ears something that is worth mentioning. This time the ambient label from Bulgaria released a joint-effort from three their compatriots: Ivan Shentov (aka Krāllār), Martin Lukanov, and Angel Simitchiev (aka Mytrip).

This is the second collaboration of the gentlemen after the 2022's Palimpsest. Like on that album, Pain and Power offers minimalist but extremely dark ambient sounds that build up the reflective state in one's mind the longer the album plays. This is music that feels like the earth's subtle movements, like the dark caves look, like a persistent call to go back to the simpler times. It should be listened to in complete darkness and then it's felt in your bones.

Pain and Power costs 5 EUR.

Check: Light Barrier

Country: Bulgaria

Genre: minimal dark ambient

Label: Amek Collective

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There's a Light & Noir Reva - Anam Cara (2024)

Two German (mostly) instrumental bands released a split album back in November and brought as a healthy dose of good guitar post-rock. The better known There's a Light from Lahr and their compatriots, Noir Reva, from Koblenz made sure to fill this short release with some juicy stuff.

The first part belongs to There's a Light, who composed their songs with a lot of post-rock aspects: the soft guitar dancing (I don't like this that much), the heavier guitar crushes (I like them very much), the melodic story-telling and the nostalgic atmosphere. The second track, Aporia, surprises twice: the first notes sound almost like minimalist chip tune, but it eventually grows into a full-fledged post-rock composition until it is joined by, it's the second surprise, almost... progressive rock-like vocals. I think it all works together pretty well.

The second part from Noir Reva shows that the lesser known band is very able to make interesting music. Their compositions are faster, more complex (with some interesting samples in the background I think) and catchier. The energy is pretty contagious and it's difficult no to dance to Svartur. Which is great, but in Noir Reva's case I do believe the faster the better. as the closing track is one that my mind completely ignored every time I  listened to the EP.

Anam Cara costs 4.99 EUR.

 

Check: Aporia

Country: Germany

Genre: guitar post-rock

Label: Broken Youth Records

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93MillionMilesFromTheSun - Let Go (2024)

The British nugaze powerhouse is a frequent guest on this blog and there are good reasons for it. Led by Nick Noble, the noisy collective released their new album (I can't count so well to tell you which one in their discography) when other people were just getting calmer before Christmas.

It's their signature sound: you have to dig deep into the layers of noisy guitars, samples and whatnot to find the soft vocals and melodies. But if you do that, you are rewarded with some most beautiful and catchy songs on the shoegaze market, as in Sleep for example. This track could easily be an indie rock hit if stripped down of the noisy elements, but it'd lose a lot of its charm, no doubt about it. The punch, the melancholia lie in the overwhelming music the band donates right into the audience's ears. Sleep is dethroned as my best-loved later in the album by Only Living Now, which became one of my favourite songs at the beginning of the new year.

If I have to have one complaint, it's that it's too long for my attention span. Interestingly, Noble states that it was their most difficult album to finish and show to the world due to the band's lineup changes (which I don't hear in their sound at all) and personal problems. 'If I'm honest,' he adds, 'I'm not sure I still do want it to come out'. I, for one, am keen to say that I'm very happy it did in the end. Made the year's end better than it could have been.

Let Go costs 7 GBP (8.5 EUR).

Check: Only Living Now

Country: UK

Genre: guitar nugaze

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Soulless, Sadness - burning as the first light (2024)

Damián Antón Ojeda, professionally known as Sadness is already a well-known name for any fan looking for the blackgaze scene's underdogs. The Mexican artist releases a number of shorter and longer albums a year and towards the end of 2024, he joined forces with his lesser known, but at least as interesting, Indonesian counterpart, Soulless. 

The album is opened by an intro that sound more like a melancholic ambientish piece, but soon enough bursts into Sadness' signature noise. It is made with harsh noise of guitars that is hidden behind the silky flow of piano keys and, finally, vocals. Those are rather fresh-sounding, hopeful, energetic, providing a pleasurable contrast with the music, beautiful in its melancholy. His second track feels like a complementing piece, an ornament underlining the importance of every edge of your name, burning.

The part of the split provided by Soulless has a slightly different taste to it. While it is also a prime example of underground blackgaze music, the vibes are changed: the black metal vocals add the element of anger and depression that, when juxtaposed with the synthy, flowy music, always brings a tear to my eye. The euphoric parts come to the picture in the second track by Soulless and they make the whole blackgazey picture absolutely complete.

burning as the first light costs 4 USD.

Check: every edge of your name, burning

Country: Indonesia, Mexico/US

Genre: synthy blackgaze

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