When They Know You They Will Run Sometimes even bands with ridiculously laughable long names that can be good. Upon first seeing the name of the band When They Know You They Will Run, one might think of other bands with names so long they almost incite laughter like ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead. But unlike some of ...Trail Of The Dead’s releases, When They Know You They Will Run’s self titled album, or demo as they call it, quite simply, rocks. Although they owe a great deal to postrock bands like Explosions in the Sky, their innovative English take on instrumental rock is a breath of fresh air. Their chord progressions are simple and reflective. Their melodies, full of nostalgia, bring nothing but tears to the eyes. Their builds are slow and skillful. When their crescendos finally break loose, it’s like an orgasm for the mind. It is impossible not to feel their music through the body and groove with it. The guitars melt with reverb on “Moving to America.” The bass and drums slowly and majestically enter. The tension builds for a while then dies down. A few beats later the music explodes into thick guitar textures and ride-driven percussive beats. It really does feel like a journey from the old world to the new. Somehow They will Run’s music tells magnificent stories without saying a word. Towards the end of the piece, when the intensity breaks down at about 15 seconds to the six-minute mark, it is possible to see the eastern shoreline through the mist. The second track, “December,” begins much as the first with a haunting arpeggiated guitar riff. But then a fresh guitar line enters high above this idea, taking it into the stratosphere. This moves into a quite unexpected rhythmic shift to compound meter. Snow falling on yesteryear. The altered time builds for a while and dies down to a motivated bass line that introduces the most passionate moment of the album thus far. The rest of the album, the sad and mesmerizing “Last Words,” and the epic “Mary, What Have You Got in Your Hands,” follows the postrock loud-quiet-loud quiet style rock perfectly. While their music may not be an entirely unique, When They Know You They Will Run is surely one of the tightest and most powerful instrumental rock bands out there. And, really, who is completely unique anymore anyway? It’s music to lose yourself in. -David Fisher Score: 7.5/10 |
