DEPARTURE SONGS

4.5 stars. WE LOST THE SEA are a Australian band and this is studio album number three. The first two featured an extreme vocalist with a heavier sound. Sadly the singer took his own life and this particular recording has no vocals and is pure Post-Rock. And what a Post-Rock album it is! A six piece band with three guitarists, bass, keyboards and drums. Some guest cello on three tracks and guest trumpet on two songs. The interesting thing about this record is that it is a concept album about people who have given their lives in heroic ways. So four stories over five tracks all instrumental although we get lots of samples helping us with these incredible events in history. This album sounds amazing and is one I've had cranked all last week and this week too.

"A Gallant Gentleman" sounds so beautiful to start with that picked guitar that sort of echoes. Just gorgeous as other relaxed sounds join in before 3 minutes. Drums and a fuller sound after 3 minutes as it turns somewhat powerful. Vocal melodies as it settles back down before 5 minutes. Again just a beautiful sound here. Such a great way to open the album. "Bogatyri!" opens with relaxed guitar melodies then bass and a beat join in before 2 minutes. It starts to build slightly after 4minutes. This continues as the guitar starts to amp it up. Man this is good! It's fairly heavy late but no explosion of sound. Post-Rock styled guitars end it. Another fantastic track! "The Last Dive Of David Shaw" opens with faint water sounds and the obvious sounds of a scuba diver with that breathing. Distant spoken words here too then some atmosphere 2 minutes in along with static before picked guitar takes over before 2 1/2 minutes. Another guitar arrives and a light beat before 3 minutes. Mellow is the word but it starts to build as it turns louder before 4 1/2 minutes. Suddenly minute later it calms right down to silence only then pulses arrive just before 6 minutes along with atmosphere and guitar. It starts to turn fuller 8 minutes in. Then even louder at 9 1/2 minutes, quite powerful in fact before settling back down just before 14 minutes. Piano eventually takes over to end it.

"Challenger Part 1-Flight" is the almost 24 minute epic track on here. Opening with an interview with a man who discusses the relation of dreams to going to outer space. I like how when he finishes it up some 5 1/2 minutes in the atmosphere has turned increasingly louder to almost not hearing him. A calm follows with picked guitar. It kicks in just before 9 1/2 minutes. So good! A definite highlight for me and this continues until it settles back just before 12 minutes. The guitar is crying out at 12 1/2 minutes. It then calms right down before 14 1/2 minutes. Synth sounds follow then guitar before we get the audio for the countdown 16 1/2 minutes in. An intense determined sound here as the audio continues. Kicking butt here then it kicks in even harder after 18 minutes. It starts to wind down after 21 1/2 minutes as people express their disbelief at what has just happened. Lots of confusion as a lady says "They were here and now they're gone".

This blends into "Challenger Part 2-A Swan Song" as distant atmosphere continues as picked guitar arrives and starts to echo sadly. Strummed guitar and a beat join in after 3 minutes. It slowly starts to build until kicking in with power at 5 1/2 minutes. Great sound! It kicks in even harder around 6 1/2 minutes before settling back as we hear the speech from Ronald Reagan as he relates so wonderfully the story of Sir Francis Drake some 400 years earlier. Nice.

If not for length of "The last Dive Of David Shaw" I would be giving this 5 stars for sure. I found that track to have prolonged passages that could have easily been shortened making it much better to my ears. Just my opinion. Love this album though, one of my all time favourite Post-Rock records without a doubt.