IT'S NOT ME, IT'S YOU

Evolution. This is what pg.lost is about. From humble post rock beginnings, this is a far more complete album, with assured pieces of music, accomplished playing and almost, dare I say it, a swagger of confidence. It kicks off with The Day Shift which, to me, is more prog rock than post rock. An energy filled monster of a track that is driven by guitars, ethereal vocals and a great rhythm and throws down the gauntlet of expectation. The pace is slowed down for Head High, which is a slow builder of repetition and layers, with nice use of violin in a piece that reminds me that I'm listening to a Scandinavian band. Pascal's Law is more traditional post rock, but that doesn't put me off, because the band never forget that 'rock' is one half of the term post rock - they do like their snare drums on this track. Maquina is a song that builds to a great climax; a slow burning piece of music that like many other pg.lost tracks lulls you into a false sense of security, before unleashing a rock monster. You just breeze along, noodling guitars, soft and delicate background vocals contribute to a really lovely song and then BAM, it hits its mark and delivers the punch. Jonathan is the antithesis of Maquina, it starts the way it means to continue - with pounding drums and haunting guitars before it settles down into a groovy rhythm before rebuilding for a what you think is a final crescendo, before going off road and entering into some ambient piano weirdness. And finally Siren, a monster of a track that has all the trademarks of a pg.lost record; it starts quietly, and slowly builds into a plinky guitar and synthesiser track that wouldn't seem out of place on an electronica album. This almost burns itself out at the 5 minute mark, before re- energising itself with almost audible vocals that almost makes it feel like a pop song rather than a post rock classic and then around 9 minutes it opens up the throttle, turns the amps up to 11 and lets fly, before burning brightly and dying. The bonus tracks, Yes I Am and Kardusen, both on the Yes I Am EP and have a feel of a less mature band. musically both tracks are superb, showcasing just how competent these musicians are; even in these early days they knew how to construct good songs. This isn't an album for die hard post rock fans, but the term post rock can apply to all manner of diverse styles within the genre. I do think there's an element of proggy shoegazing in this band; a degree of modern music grooveness and are something to be heard and decided for yourself; not a band to be taken on recommendations. There are many places you can hear their stuff - seek it out and give it as chance!