If Godspeed You! Black Emperor got back together tomorrow and decided, after spending all their time off since Yanqui U.X.O listening to Bloc Party, to craft a record for you to dance to, they would have released something akin to The Unbelievable Cinematic Crash. Belgian post-rockers Sweek take a page out of Godspeed's book by encorporating a wide array of instruments (clarinets, violins, harmonicas, horns), but the way they utilize them is like day to Godspeed's night. Whereas Godspeed is content in creating soundscapes with slow buildups and "doom-like" cathartic releases, Sweek prefers to give you something that is fairly unique within the post-rock community, a truly satisfying climax. Sure Mono have been doing this for a while, but with Sweek it's a little different. The climaxes in The Unbelievable Cinematic Crash are upbeat and dancy where the climaxes on Mono albums are crushing and emotional, and its a welcome departure.
Right from the start Sweek prove that they are out to make an impression, and that impression manifests in an amazing cello performace throughout . If you can sit still when 6:35 rolls around in "Thanx For Sunday (Nothing to Do With Any God!)" then you sir are a better man than I. Sweek run the gamut on this album from the soft violin parts to the heavy atmospheric releases but the cello is omnipresent and really provides a nice kick when things start to drag on. Despite the cello (which admittedly becomes almost gimmicky by the end), what really sets Sweek apart from the their peers is the drumming. Unlike most post-rock oufits, the drums are really brought to the forefront in The Unbelievable Cinematic Crash and provide a base to keep the band grounded instead of flying off in experimental atmospherics that can tend to lose the audience. The drum and violin duet in "A Dead Sleeping Forest" really epitomizes where Sweek< is coming from. The two instruments interplay with one another before the guitars kick in for a faux-climax two or three times before actually going full out. Sweek is anything but formulaic and while that is a step in the right direction, it is not the only thing necessary for a great album.
The Unbelievable Cinematic Crash comes off as an album made for the simple task of entertaining the listener, and for that reason doesn't quite achieve the palpable emotion that people have come to expect from the genre. At times it seems as though Sweek may settle in and haunt you, but it never lasts long. Admittedly, it really isn't the band's intention to tug at your heartstrings, but even still, it feels as though something is missing. The end of "Thanx For Sunday (Nothing to Do With Any God!)" really shows that Sweek know what their doing in regards to injecting some heavy emotion into their songs, but the tone doesn't last long, and "Tequila Fitness Club" all but erases any memory of the final haunting minutes of the opening track.
For those disillusioned with the haunting and dark minimalist post-rock that seems to be popular of late or those simply looking for a fresh style, Sweek were made for you. The Unbelievable Cinematic Crash is experimental while remaining enjoyable on a periphereal level. This isn't the type of post-rock you need to sit down and concentrate on, this is music that will draw you in and keep you listening no matter what you are doing.
-Dan Wotherspoon