Mexican Post-Rock sounds like it may be an elaborate joke but this five piece from Guadalajara, are not playing for laughs. There is no mariachi band in sight in the nine mini epics which make up this highly accomplished debut album.
The pastoral calm of Mike Oldfield's Hergest Ridge came to mind as I listened although to be honest there are no overt similarities between the two records. Maybe it's the gentle, unhurried layering of sounds that draws this connection together with the obvious affinity with nature flagged up by the album title and tunes like Singing Trees and Aurora At My Window.
At a little over ten minutes, Seven Moons Around The Piano is the longest track and this seems the most suited to the band's rather formal and languid style. Other tracks mostly last around five minute tracks and while they flow gracefully they seem a little constrained by the reduced time frame.
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Their strength lies in creating an atmosphere through slow building melodies. The instrumentation of piano, glockenspiel, drums and shimmering guitars make them reminiscent of Sigur Ros without the hopelandic, in fact there are no voices on the album at all.
Leaves In The Sky opens with busier piano refrain but for the most part the band are content to go with understatement and subtle textures.
Their sound has a dreamy, ethereal quality to the point of lacking a little drama.
A nice calming record nonetheless.
The Polar Dream on My Space
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