Tag Archives: art rock

Opposite Day – Divide by Nothing

by Dæv Tremblay

The Music

The Words

Opposite Day are no newcomers to me: I’ve enjoyed my fair share of I Calculate Great and Space Taste Race, Part Zero, their two 2017 releases, but today marks the release of Divide by Nothing, their latest EP, and their best yet.

Art rock, progressive rock, math rock: those are the terms with which you’d best describe the songs here, even though the band has already dabbled in other genres. Here, however, the Texan trio pushes things farther into art territory, especially on “The Only Way to Travel”, a real upbeat, funky, and creative … Read more

高円寺百景 – ドリンビスカ

by Dæv Tremblay

The Music

The Words

It’s been thirteen years since the Tōkyō-based avant-prog ensemble released Angherr shisspa, which was widely praised as the culmination of progressive rock. In the current year, 高円寺百景 (Kōenji Hyakkei) started a crowdfunding campaign for the release of their fifth album, ドリンビスカ (Dorimbisuka), mostly seen written as Dhorimviskha, and they not only met, but surpassed their goal! As such, the complete album was released on July 11 via bandcamp, and physical orders are being completed as of now.

The music on this new spawn of madness is in line with what we know Kōenji … Read more

The Knells – Knells II

by Dæv Tremblay

You don’t often see, or hear, a troupe of classically trained musicians making progressive rock music along with an all-female vocal trio. Yet, as its name alludes to, Knells II is the second album of New York’s The Knells, a band united under Andrew McKenna Lee’s vision. The compositions are rather short and to-the-point, but are meticulously written with many intertwined layers more akin to a woven tapestry than merely a bunch of parallel threads. Knells the Second is a direct successor of the first of its name, superior in every regard – except in duration. The Knells was … Read more

Dougmore – Outerboros

by Dæv Tremblay

Dougmore‘s debut album is a foray into folkloric music through the lens of art rock. Indeed, Outerboros is lush and complex, deep and progressive, and, on top of that, inspiringly beautiful. Don’t be fooled by the apparent simplicity of the folk singer-songwriter foundation of the project – with Douglas and his banjo -, for there is here a plethora of invited artists – playing a wide range of instruments, from wine glasses to trumpets, from bouzouki to double bass, from dulcimer to harp, and a lot of other things in-between. This not only bring in a variety of timbres … Read more