The Pitch: The Ipecac debut of Brooklyn-based husband and wife post-metal outfit Spotlights, Seismic comes in the wake of last year's critically acclaimed Tidals, which found them handpicked to open a leg of Deftones’ 2016 tour. FFO Deftones, Pelican, Team Sleep
What I Like: Seismic, to me, is what Chino sought to do with Gore...but executed far better. I've defended my dislike of Deftone's last album on the grounds that it has little to do with the softer sound and everything to do with it simply being uninteresting. Quite to the contrary, Spotlight's music is not only interesting, but highly engrossing. It blends such a variety of sounds and styles into something that teeters right at the brink of "metal" while never tipping over. I hear elements of everything from Quicksand, Helmet, and even Sonic Youth to the electronic mood music of MGMT, Phantogram, and Animal Collective. There are some righteous post-metal riffs that occasionally kick up the volume, often led by a tidal wave of bass; but these heavier moments are all the more impactful due to the long stretches of introspective atmosphere...the vocals seemingly a whisper from a dream.
Critiques: An hour and ten minutes is stretching it for me in this style. There are some moments that could have been trimmed down for the sake of brevity, In fact, I would have ditched pretty much everything after and including "What Is This, Where Are We." These tracks are on the duller side and don't add much to what's already been said more effectively on other songs. It ends up feeling like the album ends multiple times. One would have been sufficient in making a more powerful, conclusive statement. My vote would have been for "Hang Us All."
The Verdict: Seismic is a welcome departure from some of the heavier stuff I have been enjoying this year, and overall represents how to balance both the ethereal dreaminess and crashing intensity of post-metal in just the right amounts. While I have some issues with the latter part of the record, I highly suggest checking out Spotlight's latest album in full this Friday.
Flight's Fav's: Learn To Breathe, Ghost Of A Glowing Forest, The Opening
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