I AM YOUR BASTARD WINGS

Dramatic rock (in a good way)

Eksi Ekso, is made up of "leftovers" from two previous bands, On Fire and The Burning Paris, and in 2008 this Bostonian Sextet presents their first offering, I am Your Bastard Wings. Having no knowledge of both of the ancestors to this band, I came with a clear head and prepared to see what they have in their stock. I must say it was a pleasant discovery.

With a rich engulfing sound, supported by, in addition to the usual rock instrumentation, a chamber section consisting of trumpet, violin, viola and sampling, Eksi Ekso forge a captivating, melancholic atmosphere. Those additional instruments give a valuable orchestral sound to the band, enhancing and adding valuable layers to their sound. The use of three different vocalists (singing either together or separately) also adds to the variety this album offers. What dominates their sound is the big, epic-like aspect which is highly reliant on the strings and trumpet mentioned above. They enrich and add a majestic and certain splendor beauty to the music, increasing the "volume" of the music.

I've heard Eksi Ekso compared to a post-rock band with vocals, and there's merit to this statement, though it is not strictly post-rock that the band delivers. Killing Texas, for instance, presents a less dense, more upbeat side of the band. Moreover, the overall mood, while not far from that of post-rock territories, is given a positive boost towards a good solid rock sound.

Eksi Ekso don't opt for the characteristic long and slow track development style of some post-rock bands. Most of the song songs are not too long, and usually get to the point quickly, in a more typical rock way; and in those nicely flowing tracks, they manage to achieve a successful and efficient effect which is also well executed. The beauty of the music and the way it's performed is enchanting and thrilling. Dramatic, ambitious and grand, it surrounds and fills the listener. This album seems to me to fit an autumn spirit: somewhat gloomy, yet charming, uplifting, and occasionally optimistic. A fantastic surprise this summer. Recommended. 3.5 stars

This year amazes me by quality, not quantity. I mean, good releases are few, but they're indeed amazing. EKSI EKSO, a reincarnation of ON FIRE, takes us into the deep wells of melancholic yet warm and sunny song-oriented Post-Rock, devoid of most cliches you heard from other numerous bands of the genre. Dynamic and melodic, with magnificient violin solos, masterful vocals and dreamy atmosphere, 'I Am Your Bastard Wings' is a welcome gift to those who appreciate bands like IMMANU EL, iLIKETRAINS, SIGUR ROS, YNDI HALDA, NEIL ON IMPRESSION and JOHNNYTWENTYTHREE. Do yourself a favour and get this album by any means. All songs are good in their own way, but pearls like 'The Choir Will Always Sing', 'I Thought You Died The Last Time' and 'Mavri' just pushed this album from 3 stars to 4 in my own personal Post-Rock pantheon. Highly recommended!

Eksi Ekso came out of the ashes of post rock band On Fire and immediately gave us this magnificent post rock masterpiece. Alas in "I Am Your Bastard Wings" you will not hear your typical post rock sound that you'd expect from other bands from the genre. Their sound could be described as post rock with vocals and with different instruments such as the cello, the oboe, the trumpet and the viola, almost resembling chamber rock with something slightly different.

Inside the album the songs are not long something common for modern post rock bands, lasting an average of 4 to 5 minutes. The vocalists, in particular one of the male vocalists and the female vocalist often sound similar to those from Gregor Samsa yet the other male vocalist has a more colorful sound. The music itself seems dramatic and brilliant in every aspect, as every song in the album is entitled to its own right. Each one could be easily identified such as the first song The Wintering/O' God, They've Frozen, Killing Texas, Albatross (which lasts 8 minutes), I Thought You Died the Last Time and The Gallows.

In overall "I Am Your Bastard Wings" has managed to go above the standards, something unusual, usually for a first release. The album should be next to post rock masterpieces such as the ones from GY!BE, Yndi Halda, Explosions in the Sky, etc. Indeed one of the best post rock releases of 2008 and it's definitely not to be missed.

When I started listening of this debut Eksi Ekso album, my first impression was they are just one more average post-rock band. With repetitive musical constructions, balanced guitar/drums sound, some added strings, etc.

But slowly their music attract me: neo-classic strings, complex drumming and male/female vocals all do their music not so stereotype and more different from post-rock clones all around.

There is atmospheric sound, melancholic ,even dreamy space in their songs. Vocals are not very usual in the world of post-rock, so I think they are good addition in this album's music as well.

For sure, their music is still framed with genre's frame, even few songs are trying to cross this border. No way masterpiece or revolutionary record, but slightly better than average album.