_Pianos Become the Teeth - The Lack Long After (04/12/2011)
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Pianos Become the Teeth
have just released their second full length, The Lack Long After,
and have released what I think is contender for album of the year, and
definitely the best album of their career. At almost 40 minutes, this is long
for a screamo album and especially one as draining as this, but it’s worth
sitting through, because this is one of the most rewarding, fulfilling albums
that I have heard in a long time.
This album isn’t background music while you do homework or relax. It demands your full attention, and every time you listen to it you just feel like a little bit of your soul has died. This is as far from a happy album as you can get. The Lack Long After is just about anguish, and pain, and the raw emotion that comes from losing someone.
It takes a great band to portray just as much emotion with their instruments as they do vocally, and Pianos don’t disappoint in that aspect. Pianos are clearly influenced by the grandeur of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky, and while The Lack Long After doesn’t rely as much on post-rock build ups and crescendos as the first album did, the post-rock influence is still there throughout this album, most notably in the album highlight Liquid Courage. David Haik’s drumming has stepped up a notch on this album, delivering some truly impressive fills and beats throughout the albums 37 minutes.
Lyrically, this is just a depressing album. Every song is just an emotional release for Kyle, with most songs written about the death of his father, and you can just feel his anguish and sorrow throughout the whole album. When Kyle yells ‘I watched you shake, I watched our hearts break, I couldn’t wrap my fingers around your spine and shake it loose from the bone, I couldn’t fight against the loss’ in Spine, you feel your heart breaking for him and his family. The emotional impact of this album is just so strong; you feel his pain and grief with every word.
Listening to Liquid Courage without tearing up is almost impossible, and I’m not going to lie, I’ve shed a few tears over this album. The lyrics are so personal they seem almost secret, like they were written for a diary rather than a song. The melodic build up at the start of the song calls to mind Explosions in the Sky, with music that’s almost tender and loving, before Kyle’s vocals come in with some absolutely heart-wrenching lyrics.
Building on the Envy worship of their first full length, Pianos have crafted an epic, unique album with The Lack Long After, and the band are well on their way to becoming as huge as they deserve. Stop what you’re doing, stop listening to whatever you are, and check this album out. It’s draining and intense, but it’s the best album you’ll hear all year.
Josh Mitrou
This album isn’t background music while you do homework or relax. It demands your full attention, and every time you listen to it you just feel like a little bit of your soul has died. This is as far from a happy album as you can get. The Lack Long After is just about anguish, and pain, and the raw emotion that comes from losing someone.
It takes a great band to portray just as much emotion with their instruments as they do vocally, and Pianos don’t disappoint in that aspect. Pianos are clearly influenced by the grandeur of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky, and while The Lack Long After doesn’t rely as much on post-rock build ups and crescendos as the first album did, the post-rock influence is still there throughout this album, most notably in the album highlight Liquid Courage. David Haik’s drumming has stepped up a notch on this album, delivering some truly impressive fills and beats throughout the albums 37 minutes.
Lyrically, this is just a depressing album. Every song is just an emotional release for Kyle, with most songs written about the death of his father, and you can just feel his anguish and sorrow throughout the whole album. When Kyle yells ‘I watched you shake, I watched our hearts break, I couldn’t wrap my fingers around your spine and shake it loose from the bone, I couldn’t fight against the loss’ in Spine, you feel your heart breaking for him and his family. The emotional impact of this album is just so strong; you feel his pain and grief with every word.
Listening to Liquid Courage without tearing up is almost impossible, and I’m not going to lie, I’ve shed a few tears over this album. The lyrics are so personal they seem almost secret, like they were written for a diary rather than a song. The melodic build up at the start of the song calls to mind Explosions in the Sky, with music that’s almost tender and loving, before Kyle’s vocals come in with some absolutely heart-wrenching lyrics.
Building on the Envy worship of their first full length, Pianos have crafted an epic, unique album with The Lack Long After, and the band are well on their way to becoming as huge as they deserve. Stop what you’re doing, stop listening to whatever you are, and check this album out. It’s draining and intense, but it’s the best album you’ll hear all year.
Josh Mitrou