Red Sparowes is Not Excruciating, but Therein Lies the Answer

I figured a third full-length is as good a time as any to write about Red Sparowes. That, and the fact that I'm feeling kinda shitty on this lazy, May 1st Saturday afternoon, so I need a little soul comfort and who better to give it to me than this all-star post-rock quintet.

 If this is your first time hearing about this band (which, I doubt it is, since all the major sites have them covered) the past and current members that played in it, or still do, come from different parts of the post-rock galaxy and they all represent its shiny stars. Current members are: Bryant Clifford Meyer of the giant Isis, Greg Burns of the excellent Halifax Pier, Dave Clifford of the trusty Pleasure Forever, Andy Arahood of Angel Hair and Emma Ruth Rundle of The Nocturnes. Let's just say, for salivating sake, that some of the previous members also link back to the kings known as Neurosis, to Battle of Mice, A Storm of Light and Made Out of Babies. The listing of these bands alone would make any serious post-rock/psychedelic/stoner rock or even, ahem, screamo fan pick up Sparowes' releases immediately, but for ye of little faith, keep on reading.

The band's first album, a 2005 Neurot Recordings release, At the Soundless Dawn, was a captivating one. With layers to be found behind the post-rock formulas, their debut had "promising future" written all over it.

And that's when things came to a halt. Why? Because of the genre itself, maybe? Because the ever-problematic post-rock can expand only so much? I don't know, but with their third full-length -- The Fear is Excruciating, but Therein Lies the Answer, Red Sparowes left us just a little bit wanting, yet again. Don't get me wrong, this is a great album that shows this band has the experience, the background and the know-how of making great records, but in our collective minds, there is a soundless imprint of that dawn that does not let us forget what kind of material RS CAN produce. 

With eight tracks that include a short intro, RS stays true to its sound and are ready to once again take you on a journey which is best for consummation when you're in the Wordsworthy "bliss of solitude" mode. 


Needles to say, they're continuing to present us with only instrumentals (I wouldn't expect nor want anything else) in which they easily induce an array of emotions like nostalgia and introspection but with just enough riffage to remind the listener of the mode they chose to express themselves, which does, after all, have "rock" in its name. 


With us on the nostalgic side who so grumpily and somewhat spoiled want the Soundless Dawn to shine on us once again, I will put that aside, and say that this is a more than a worthy release and another Red Soundtrack to your thoughtful Saturday afternoon.

Mireletion recommends.