WINTER HYMN COUNTRY HYMN SECRET HYMN

The first song I heard by DO MAKE SAY THINK was "Ontario Plates," and it completely blew me away. I was expecting some very formulaic post-rock akin to what I'd previously heard from the ever-growing plethora of uninteresting clone bands, but instead I was treated to a very jazzy, very interesting, and, above all, very powerful song. I decided right away that I needed to get the album, and I don't regret doing so.

Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn isn't exactly mind-blowingly unique or anything like that, but DMST makes it clear from the get-go that they're not just copying other post-rock bands like GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR and EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY. Instead, they play their own brand of post-rock with a wide range of influences, resulting in an album that includes everything from strange ambient tracks like "It's Gonna Rain" to the jazzy explosions of "Ontario Plates," while continuously maintaining a distinct post-rock feel.

Good guitar work, energetic horns, and bombastic drumming combined with songwriting that is at worst slightly derivative and at best absolutely incredible make this an album worth checking out. It's definitely the band's best, and as such, anyone with an interest in the genre should not hesitate to listen to it.

I can't wait to hear what these guys put out next.