TAKE REFUGE IN CLEAN LIVING

Grails' fifth album if you include "Black Tar Prophecies". It's a very short album, barely longer then half an hour, so I might have liked it more if it was priced as an EP rather then a regular CD, but anyway, not a minute is wasted, which is quite a relief in the post-rock field.

"Stoned At Your Feet" kicks off with a dirty swamp blues lick, after 2 minutes it quiets down for a slowly building crescendo with gorgeous psychedelic guitars, both acoustic and electric. As can be expected it erupts into an orgy of sound, big and spacious but also controlled. "PSTD" is a more droning affair, with looped guitar arpeggios and ambient sound effects. "11th Hour" takes the form of a ballad, very bluesy and cinematic.

"Take Refuge" is a miniature masterpiece, it adds more melody to their typical rising and ebbing song structure, with an atmosphere that strongly reminds me of Ennio Morricone's "Harmonica Man". Epic! "Clean Living" is more subdued with a slow and moody piano melody, struggling to rise above the echoing reverb that this Grails album resounds with.

Great album again from Grails. Could have been a bit longer though, if you're looking for a reason to complain.