Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Explosions in the Sky: Trembling Hands
The new Explosions in the Sky album is out there (on youtube and other far more nefarious outlets) and I've been listening to it trying to wrap my head around the music. I find Explosions less immediate than Mogwai and I need time to work out whether it is genius or meandering pap. However, I would like to ask one question: what the fuck is with Trembling Hands?
Released a few weeks ago as a taster of the album, it signaled a slight stylistic departure for them with it's pounding Arcade Fire-esque drums and careening guitar lines. The thing is, it sounds like nothing else on the album and coming in at a lean three and a half minutes, contextually it makes no sense. Why? Well, the next shortest song is seven minutes in length and even when the band pick up the pace on the longer songs it is structured and considered. Trembling Hands is like throwing a hip hop verse into the middle of a classical piece. Weird shit.
The song seems like a statement without meaning, a point that ultimately means nothing. Its early release was misleading and on repeat listens to this album, pretty annoying because it undermines the flow of the record. Again, I reiterate my original question, what the fuck is with this song?
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Totally agree. I think the guys must have had Arcade Fire on high rotation prior to entering the studio. I'm still not totally across this album yet but think 'be comfortable creature' is very pretty and sad. Maybe 'trembling hands' was a short sharp catharsis for them? Or maybe they're dipping their toes in a new direction. Sorry it bugs you so much though. Maybe instead of it breaking the flow, think of it as a splash of cold water? Wakes you up and draws your attention back to the album. Or, even better, a food analogy - it's the sorbet between courses.
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Too reactionary? It really does bug me. That being said, I do love food analogies...
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