It may not seem it, but post-rock is probably one of the most competitive genres out there, particularly when it is of the instrumental variety. Bands such as Explosions In The Sky, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Mogwai or Mono are heralded as the unchallenged kings of the scene, yet beneath them lies an extremely fertile population of bands. The problem that bands who adopt instrumental post-rock as their chosen style face, is that it is difficult for many to stand out. Some probably even get written off before they have been given a chance, which is crying shame in most cases, and if you were to do this with Beverly, Massachusetts sextet Caspian, you would be doing yourself a terrible injustice.
It’s been 3-years since Caspian released any recorded material, and their fourth album ‘Dust and Disquiet’ couldn’t be a better return for the band. Their 2012 LP ‘Waking Season’ was a vast, sprawling body of work that showed Caspian were more than just another post-rock band riding the coattails of those we mentioned in opening paragraph, and garnered the band critical acclaim. That means that they had to go the extra mile on ‘Dust and Disquiet’, ensuring it built on the momentum created by its predecessor.
‘Dust and Disquiet’ starts with a warm welcome. The lush instrumentation that builds around the softly picked introduction of ‘Separation No.2’ greets you with tenderness, instantly drawing you into the album. They make their first real venture into a cinematic soundscape on ‘Rioseco’, which unfolds for 8-minutes through subtle moments of elegance through gloriously uplifting swells of distortion. They raise the velocity even further during ‘Arcs Of Command’, which has more in common with the metal end of the post-rock spectrum. The gargantuan riffs collide into one another over a cavernous drum sound, building suspense every chance they get, before collapsing in on itself with harrowing intensity.
While the majority of ‘Dust and Disquiet’ is instrumental, they include vocals on two tracks, most prominently on the sullen acoustic piece ‘Run Dry’. It works perfectly, but the beauty in Caspian’s delivery lies in their ability to evoke emotion without the need for vocals. They are able to break your heart on ‘Sad Heart Of Mine’, and create tension and terror in the final moments of ‘Darkfield’ purely with their refined playing alone. Each composition has been methodically arranged, pulling back to serene passages and elevating suspense in all the correct places, flowing with precision.
After the closing moments of the title track diminish, it is clear ‘Dust and Disquiet’ has surpassed its predecessor. It is an album that you can fully immerse yourself in, and one you can find a connection with that is rarely found in a largely instrumental piece of art. There is no question that Caspian have produced the best post-rock album this year.
GLEN BUSHELL