Every Gentle Air "Pt. 2" (The Record Machine)
By Ryan Harig
Monday. Dec 18, 12:01 AM
Great instrumental disc for those longing of something prettier in the darkness.

I am a renowned lover of all things instrumental. I am about the biggest fan of Mogwai living in Maine currently, and have myself been associated with bands of a similar nature in the past. With that said, it’s nice to listen to music that tells a story without dabbling in lyrics or vocals, which more often than not undermine what the musicians are trying to portray. Which is why when I heard Every Gentle Air for the first time, I was excited and intrigued. Not because the world lacks in this kind of a band, but because being surrounded by so many instrumental acts these days makes it harder and harder to find fresh music that gives you the good old warm, excited feeling that music is supposed to.

Starting with the beautiful opener “The Sower,” I was immediately enveloped by an array of instruments familiar, as well as touches that could fit well on a Broken Social Scene disc. I was reminded of the uncanny brilliance of American Football. There is that tug of honesty in all the songs. Continuing on with violins, horns, keys, and swells of pretty sounds that are hauntingly nostalgic and heart wrenching, Pt. 2 is fine music played to perfection all the way through. You really cannot find a misplaced sound, and that’s what the gents from this outfit will attest to in the making of this disc: they wanted to take you somewhere nice. And they certainly do.

This is one of those discs that gets better every time you listen. I, for one, love to put in a record and sit and let its sound devour me, which is part of what makes me want to personally make music much like what Nathan Phillips and Ryan Weberling are creating here. It is a mission that is at once a self-journey and a musical statement of the person you are. To want to make beauty out of the darkness from which you come is the ongoing story of hope, and the men here have compiled and carved it out well. A national survey came out a while back stating that Mansfield, OH is one of the top five ugliest towns in the United States. It just so happens to be where Every Gentle Air are from, and they make you believe that such a claim is a lie. Just listen. The truth speaks loud and clear. You cannot imagine these guys coming from anywhere but the West Coast near the mountains of the Pacific Coastal Highway, nestled in a town without a frown on anyone’s face. It’s that pretty and that well mannered of music. Listen to closer “You Are There” and try to imagine anything different than that of a serene landscape. It’s a gorgeous track to end a gorgeous disc.

I am going to find their last release, Pt. 1, because I think it will be a great piece of music. Pt. 2 being the second half is a tell tale sign of what came before: I can see a lot of potential in this band, and I hope that they continue to tell their pretty stories and wrap them with the kind of care and gentleness displayed here. Highly recommended for fans of Bed, American Football, and Hem.
www.therecordmachine.net

Listen to a song from this album in our Radio section!

Ryan Harig

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