Genre : Instrumental post-rock
Released : January 22nd, 2021
Label : Self-release
FFO : We Lost the Sea, Oh Hiroshima, Maybeshewill
"Tundra" is the debut LP of solo post-rock artist Secret Gardens and it pretty much checks all the boxes you would expect from the genre.
However, what made this project stand out to me was its very strong sense of narrative and how intimate it feels.
It's not too often that I come across a post-rock album that feels this personal since I find the genre rather tends to explore "wider" impersonal universal themes most of the time.
Although it is mainly instrumental, the inclusion of spoken word and singing on the tracks "Stillness" and "Lighthouse" greatly help in developing the sense of narrative that is already present due to the way the tracks create both a musical and thematical progression throughout the record, which ultimately builds up to a cathartic release on the closing track "Walk Away".
The fact that Secret Gardens is very open and transparent on his platform about the themes and the process behind making the album also helps add emotional value to the songs with the added context.
There's a pretty nice range of dynamics in terms of sounds and style throughout the record.
For instance, the contrast between the bittersweet and mellow "Stillness" and the unexpectedly heavy "Squall", or even the math-rock inspired "I'm Fucking Tired of Being Sad" among the more classic melodramatic post-rock.
Overall I thought this was one of the more enjoyable post-rock projects I've heard recently and that is due in great part to its strong narrative.
(Don't forget to check out the visuals for "Tough Conversations" and "Kosciusko" if you liked the music since I think they add even more to the narrative and are really well produced).
Comments