PELICAN „The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw”

Music: Instrumental Post Rock-Doom
Country: USA
Website: http://www.hydrahead.com/pelican
Duration: 58.46
Cool Songs: Last Days of Winter, March into the Sea, Red Ran Amber, Sirius.

When Chicago’s monolithic instrumentalists Pelican released their ‘March into the Sea’ EP a couple of months back, I made the statement that its musical approach was just a hint of what was possibly going to be an even more exploratory and daring full length. With the release of ‘The Fire.. .’ it appears that my thoughts are pretty much on the money. However, if there was one aspect of ‘March…’ that suggested any sort of ‘change’ in their overall sonic landscape was on the cards, it was its cold emotive feel and slightly harsher tone. ‘The Fire…’ seems to continue that theme. For anyone looking for a repeat of the warm, lush and brooding atmosphere of the colossal ‘Australasia’ debut, ‘The Fire.. .’ will most certainly surprise. Do not be mistaken though, this is still Pelican in all of its vast naked glory, but as progression would have it, this time they conjure up a slightly different beast.

Clearly, Pelican have conceived another quality release with ‘The Fire..’ Like their debut album, it waxes and wanes between vast expansive heaviness, mid tempo droning and the mellow acoustic soundscapes that so characterises their sound. However, whereas ‘Australasia’ conveyed a slightly more emotive angle, ‘The Fire…’ is much starker in its delivery. The compositional expressiveness of the debut is retained, no question, yet there is a distinctly ‘bleaker’ atmosphere that permeates this album. The darker cover art & accompanying booklet suggests as much (as compared to the brighter, psychedelic canvas of the debut) as do the song titles which boast a fixation on the seasons (Last Days of Winter, Autumn into Summer) and the heavens (Aurora Borealis and Sirius). Moreover, it is the bands willingness to explore the quieter, mellower moments – via a very expressive acoustic ambience – that makes ‘The Fire…’ a more confronting listen.

Like Cult of Luna, Neurosis and drone kings Mogwai, Pelican have always had the ability to marry ‘light & dark’ in their music. Certainly, the ebb & flow between their heaving, pulsating crescendos and the haunting calmness of their acoustic element makes ‘The Fire..’ just as intriguing as previous efforts. Yet, it is the cleaner, crisper, slightly airy production that emphasises the bleaker feel I alluded to earlier. The acoustic segues in particular have this real ‘heavy jangle’ vibe about them (check the seething beauty of ‘Autumn into Summer’), like an old rusty gate swinging menacingly in the breeze before it’s slams shut by an oncoming storm.

Whether you like this better than ‘Australasia’ all depends how you value the musical approach of both albums. Creatively and artistically, ‘The Fire…’ is easily the debut’s equal, perhaps even more so; and it is commendable that Pelican haven’t looked to simply retrace its lush warmer soundscapes. Still, the emotional impact of ‘Australasia’ seems to hang a tad more convincingly in my eyes. Whatever your partiality, anyone looking to add this to their collection knows that Pelican deal in a form of music that defies almost every conventional structure and compositional expectation; That my friends, makes this band mandatory listening.

note: 8.6/10

Tracklist

1. Last Day of Winter
2. Autumn Into Summer
3. March Into the Sea
4. *
5. Red Ran Amber
6. Aurora Borealis
7. Sirius