IT'S ALL AROUND YOU

By the time their 5th studio album proper came out, the world of post-rock had already moved on beyond these great innovators and grandmasters; Mogwai, GYBE, Sigur Ros, EITS et al were the new kings with their epic / emo(?) shoegazer-inflected bliss and thunder. Fans of the more experimental stuff were soaking in the sounds of laptop electronica, onkyo / quiet-improv, free/freek folk, underground noise etc. In this context, Tortoise seemed almost like a relic, yes, of those optimistic 90s of sampladelica / IDM- tronica, space age lounge music, where elclectic was the stuff of our dreams.

Even myself as a big fan was initially underwhelmed by this album especially after the kickass hard rock funkin' fest that had been Standards. Had they softened or just plain ennui-ed into a buncha bored listless musos who were just crusing with no brusing? Even catching them live in early 2005 (with the awesome dual drum format) couldn't dispel such feelings and in a sense the gig felt almost like a nostallgic experience (!!!)...........

But 2 years later i.e. last year I found myself itching to track back especially since I had gained a newfound obsession with all things prog & fusion (thanks to PA!!!!). When i did play the cd, my God, how different it sounded! Suddenly the gorgeous cover artwork (depicting lush flora and landscape) and the album title and the musik therein made sense. It's All Around You indeed, this gorgeous, sublime, grooving instrumental rock so thoroughly informed by jazz fusion, electronica et al. Cinematic in sound and scope it' s really all just about soaking in and luxuriating in it. Bliss, ecstacy but in a more gentle, genteel sense. Of course, Tortoise have still enough edge and punkrock roots to prevent things from going all Spyro Gyra.

So, I say to you, listen again, feel again and lets give this underappreciated (???) album the support it deserves!!!