Simple yet very effective

Established instrumental rock band Explosions in the Sky released their eighth studio album entitled End on September 15. Although the title implies a final rodeo for the band, this isn’t the case; instead, the band will go on tour in North America starting on September 26 and not for the last time.

It’s often hard to figure out what you’re trying to say as an artist or musician. Knowing what message you’re trying to send and doing it in a way that isn’t cliché or predictable is a skill that can be hard to master and one that truly can set your work apart if you have it mastered. Explosions in the Sky has certainly solidified themselves as masterful; and they don’t even have a voice. Being an all-instrumental band, Explosions in the Sky relies on musical subtext to send their message and to careful listeners, the notes will always be more than just notes. The magic of an album like End is the ability for the listener to discover their own meaning through the music, without any explicit lyrics to suggest certain themes or purpose for the music. With long expeditious tracks like the bookends of the album, “Ten Billion People” and “It’s Never Going to Stop,” the ever-changing textures and instrumentations that alter the spatial environment express so much emotion. In “All Mountains,” the continuous upward progression that is utilized quite literally enables the music to climb and climb it does. The experience that the listener is subjected to is more impactful than if the band were to direct the listener’s thought process with words.

The other magical aspect of this record is the band’s inexplicable knack for taking very simple ideas and making them seem so complex and interesting. Most of the tracks on the album could even be seen as a very well planned out “jam session,” were it not for the sheer number of layers that make up the majority of the tracks. There are certainly subdued moments, namely the halfway track “Peace Or Quiet,” (although it doesn’t stay subdued forever), but for the most part, numerous layers of guitar and synths are slathered all over this project. In lieu of having a vocalist, the guitar is often given the job of producing the melody, like the one on the second track, “Moving On,” but is often joined by two or even three more layers of guitar, either plucking out chord tensions or just strumming out the changes. That’s not to say that the guitar hogs the melody throughout, there are some really potent moments where a piano takes over like in “Loved Ones;” whereas one of the best melodies on the album on “Peace Or Quiet” is played by the bass guitar. Top it all off with some stellar drumming that is always fresh and ever changing in its grooves and the album meets all of the requirements to be a really memorable listen. End ends up being a fantastic choice to put on, whether you want to take the experience with you and read beyond the notes, or if you just need something without words to play while you work.