RADIO SWAN IS DOWN

A couple of things caught my attention here; first, I just wanted to know a post rock band which wasn't from the USA and Canada, and second, the name; a simple name like "Laura", a female name for a post rock band sounds interesting. So then, knowing they are from Australia led me to search for their music, and since the very first listen I was happy, very happy.

This album named "Radio Swan is Down" was released in 2006 and is their second studio album, it features 11 songs and over 64 minutes of great post rock. The first song is the title track (first part), which is an excellent introduction to their sound, a song that is slowly progressing and that is full of excellent noises made by several instruments, this one has cello which adds an excellent atmosphere which is later changed by guitars and drums, the final part is heavy Very nice opener.

Next one is "Is there no help for the Widow's Son", with 8 minutes of music is one of the longest tracks here, the first minute is very atmospheric but later a nervous guitar appears and changes the mood. The song again progresses slowly but this time the sound is heavier, though at minute 4 it slows down and provokes a chaotic feeling, but later?the song explodes and makes an awesome and interesting sound, great final part. "I Hope" is my favorite song here, and actually one of my favorite post rock songs ever. It is catchier maybe because of its vocals that in a way mark the rhythm of the melody. This is soft post rock with great guitars and a beautiful atmosphere, very emotional. Not saying that is the best song of the album, but at least the one that moves me the most. Beautiful.

"Numbers Stations" is a very nice piece, guitar driven post rock with excellent drums and magnificent use of cello in some parts, not my favorite but a pretty good track anyway. "Every Light" opens gently with guitars making a friendly sound until the first minute and a half when drums appear and the sound increases. Then there is a new cello sound making the song more emotional, nice. Next one is the shortest track, "Lake Vostok Beachfront" and could be part of the previous track without a doubt, but they decided to make it a different one, this is a calm and soft short track with guitars and some synth effects making the atmosphere, nothing more.

"It's Kind Of Like the Innocent Smiles You Get At the start Of A Relationship Before You Fuck it Up", what a title, this song is very good, opens with soft drumming and some synth but then a new structure is being built up, the guitar work here is excellent and it is importan to mention that the keyboard sound makes this song even better, very emotive, if you are in the mood, it may cause you goose bumps.

The second part of the title track is the following song, some spoken vocals (yeah like a radio) sound over there, while there is a synth and some effects sounding here and there. Later the cello (which is an essential instrument in this album) appears and adds that exquisite and melancholic sound to the song. At minute 3 drums start playing but the same structure prevails. This is a tranquil, charming song.

"Patterns not People" starts with some weird sounds, the rhythm is very slow, it is the second track featuring vocals, but different from the others, this may bore you, it lacks that emotion and energy that the previous songs share.

"Cambridge Bypass" follows the same path, I mean it is a very soft song, the first part of it is space I would even call it an ambient song instead of a post rock one, but later guitars and vocals appear. However, the position will be the same at the end, a soft song with some strange noises but with a relaxing atmosphere.

The album ends with "Another Near Miss" which is very different, since the beginning you can tell it by the acoustic guitar, a couple of minutes are like that but then the song makes a sudden change into a heavier sound, and the words post rock appear in caps.

This album is excellent, one of those post rock albums that really do something on me, one of those I enjoy listening to every next time, and an album that I would like to suggest to any prog rock fan, so my final grade is 4 stars.

Enjoy it!

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