The buzzword for God is an Astronaut's new LP, Far From Refuge, seems to be ‘risk.’ Not only does the album cover art depict ominous black and white foliage, but the title confirms the notion that we are to be taken into strange and dangerous places. But this notion extends beyond a mere thematic device; indeed, what makes the album so interesting and so risky is that the band are, in a sense, taking the journey with us. In a move somewhat parallel to that of Logh’s North or perhaps 65daysofstatic’s The Destruction of Small Ideas, GIAA are purposefully distancing themselves from their established sound, primarily by expanding their horizons to consider new methods of production. And just like Logh’s desire to ‘find some place off the map / a place where we’re not so safe,' GIAA’s journey into uncharted territories is all the more exciting for being authentic.
But to understand just how this album differs, we should first backtrack to consider just what was so ‘GIAA’ about the previous two albums. One of the most striking things about listening to The End of the Beginning now is just how minimal it is, and how much they achieve with such a simple combination. The trademark sound is to my mind, crystallized here, with the combination of spacey 80s synth, and dark, effects-laden bass forming the basic song structures. These then become effectively dissected by cleanly recorded drums, which create dips and plateaus from which a song’s dynamics become formed. By the time we get to All Is Violent, All is Bright, the band have become much more confident, and more layers oscillate in and out of the mix: backing vocals gain more prominence, slow tracks become more brooding, faster tracks seem to have more energy to them.
Perhaps the best analogy for the movement from one album to the next is the progression from the debut’s “Remembrance” to its incarnation on the second album as “Remembrance Day”: the All Is Violent… makeover involves more synth layers, which weave a more nostalgic, ethereal feel into the original. But despite all thechanges between these two albums, the production (and intent) seems to follow a more or less linear path, and it feels as though the progression is almost immanent within the first album, as if they already knew where they were going before they’d begun (just look at the album title if you need proof!) So is it really so surprising that the band took their third full length album as an opportunity to reassess their direction? Perhaps not. And we should be thankful; by choosing the risky business of new sounds and a different approach to production, the band have successfully managed to sidestep the creative ennui which seems to plague groups content never to venture outside their own little niche.
But as a listener, when you’re so used to the GIAA sound it can be somewhat confusing listening to Far From Refuge, especially when it comes to making a judgement on the album. The reason for this is not simply a change in the songs, or in the way the band chooses to produce them,(those these are both essential factors), but the fact that the production is no longer static, but shifts around from track to track. So where previous albums worked almost as a selection of standalone songs which are then arranged to form an album, in this case we are treated to a more organic, polymorphous entity. But this entity is a little schizophrenic in nature, and for every “Beyond the Dying Light” where the band recall their classic sound, there’s a “Radau,“ where the raw guitar and frantic drumming might easily cause a listener to mistake the band for 65daysofstatic.
Yet there are threads which bind the album as a whole. Synths take on a subtler role, generally providing ambient backing rather than driving the songs. Conversely, guitars are given more freedom and emphasis, often less weighed down by a host of effects or by being confined to simple repeated melodies. Many songs play to the strengths of this guitar work by having more complex structures and builds which emphasise the spontaneous, live feel. The bass too plays a different role, being more improvised around the song rather than simply outlining chord sequences. And it sounds as though the band are not just being more experimental, they’re having more fun in the process. The title track, for example, begins almost as a conventional GIAA tune, with its otherworldly vacuum cleaner synth and half-muted notes, but this forms the point of departure for an explosive jam which is a testament to the band’s 70s rock influences.
Where the album begins by presenting a more exciting and rock-orientated side of the band, the following 4 tracks focus more on conveying a subtle, emotive progression. Unfortunately without the prominence of the synth, these tracks seem a little unsure of themselves; “Sunrise in the Aries” almost works, but is a little too flat for its contrasting quiet/loud dynamic to be as effective as it deserves to be. The piano driven “Grace Descending” and “Darkfall” also suffer from a similar fate, but while the latter is designed as an ambient, contemplative piece, the former seems to go against its own desires. Where the track builds and becomes more expansive, the production seems more inhibited, as if denying any particular instrument from dominating the mix. Being fair, these tracks work far better when listened to through headphones, but even then they never seem to quite click with the rest of the LP.
Thankfully the album ends (as it began) more successfully, with the brilliant “Tempus Horizon” and “Beyond the Dying Light” conveying a fantastic sense of tension and uncertainty to counterbalance the excitement of the album’s beginning. “Dying Light…” in particular has a distinctly haunting melancholic feel to it, which works both musically and thematically as a reprise or a farewell to their previous sound. So, strangely enough, we are brought to a fitting resolution, and left wondering just what happened in the interim. Was it the band or us who didn’t quite get it right? Repeated listenings do reveal a great deal of subtlety in these central tracks, but there remains a sense that having opened (and closed) as the album does, this delicate, restrained production is underwhelming and misplaced. It most certainly isn’t the case that these tracks are bad, it’s more of an issue of arrangement and flow. Of course, it’s the very nature of risk and experimentation that what makes one track sound like a work of genius might make the next track sound amateurish. And I have no doubt that some people may equally find these middle tracks to be the strongest on the album, while the others seem overproduced. The critical factor here is that either way there appears to be a clear disparity between the way these middle tracks are recorded when compared to the others, and (more importantly) this difference jars the overall feel of the album.
This said, it all boils down to this: if you’re after great songs then you’ll most likely be more than happy, but it you’re looking for an album which works like a journey or an experience from beginning to end you’re likely to notice the same issues I did. But that aside, there’s no taking away from the band the fact that Far From Refuge is still a considerable achievement, and a brave move beyond their previous work. So whether you think this album entirely successful or not, it nonetheless indicates a promising future for GIAA records still to come.
-Alan Miles