The Receiver "Decades" (Stunning Models on Display)
By Ryan Harig
Tuesday. Oct 10, 12:18 AM
Amazing, ethereal, inspiring experiments in sound.

Decades is amazing. It's as simple as that. Truth is, you need to hear it: to turn all the lights off, lay in the dark, and listen to it while you contemplate the day's events and just... breathe. Not since I first heard Sigur Rós have I been so entranced by a band’s ability to captivate and surround the listener with sound. This is an incredibly pertinent quality that, honestly, can only come from people with a background similar to those of the two gentlemen who created this disc.

Both classically trained in piano, Jesse and Casey Cooper crafted this release with the "attempt to create a musical atmosphere in which I'd be comfortable” in hopes that listeners will be, too. That statement is completely true. You can’t deny tracks like "Prodigal" and "Goliath": songs that churn incredible melodies into your head, unwrapping new feelings each time you hear it, giving the album unparalleled replay value. I have to say I was especially enamored with "In Tunnels.” Using the previous song as a segue effortlessly, it launches into a rock-out beat that builds into the most creative keyboard solo I have heard since listening to my Dad's records of classic Yes and live Genesis circa 1974.

Decades is constantly impressive and epic, carrying influences like Air, Sigur Rós, and reminders of the previously mentioned classic rock outfits. Truly, this disc is a transcendent piece of music. I don’t want to keep mentioning influences though, because I feel that their musical diet doesn’t play a justifiably large amount in what The Receiver do. This is an album made by musicians who not only know that they’re breaking new ground, they level it with each step till the crushing finale of "Moments on Fire," a heady mix of coursing bass and keys that pushes this incredible album to finish.

I want to go on and on, but the proof is there if you listen. But heed what I say: you must hear it alone and in your most comfortable, quiet state. Just LISTEN and you will see. One of the best releases of 2006 and a giant break from the monotony that all too often encompasses the tired indie scene.
www.thereceiverband.com
www.stunningmodelsondisplay.com

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Ryan Harig

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