llmp
10/15/07, 04:21 PM
Sterling – Cursed
Record Label: File 13
Release Date: March 20, 2007
Lately I have been enthusiastically plunging into the depths of the instrumental rock (or post-rock) genre. Being relatively new to a genre is, at first, great. There's the opportunity to listen to all the top artists of the genre one after another, hearing stunningly beautiful songs from the likes of Pelican, Red Sparowes, and Explosions in the Sky as well as the spastic violence of Russian Circles. Then something happens; the well of great bands runs dry. After being spoiled in such a way, any band that might typically be “average” is looked down upon and ignored. This is why Sterling’s album Cursed surprised me. I had never heard of Sterling before listening to their album, and they are far from the elite in the genre. Nonetheless, the potential of the band is immediately evident upon first listen. So while the instrumental rock genre used to be black and white to me, with bands either making the best music around or being mind-numbingly boring, Sterling are the first band I would place in that grey area between.
What may be the most difficult aspect for an instrumental rock band is for them to consistently keep their music from fading into the background. It is quite a feat when a band is able to make a song in excess of ten minutes engaging from start to finish. This is no different for Sterling, as Cursed is over 35 minutes long and has only three tracks. For the most part Sterling is able to pull this off, though the songs do begin to fade out at some points. However, the band manages to change things up just enough to make listening to the entirety of their songs enjoyable and not at all a chore.
Another big plus in favor of Sterling is that they do not use the same old Explosions in the Sky formula of slowly building up to the eventual climax. Though this might make the songs lose some of their cohesiveness, overall it works well. If I had to compare them to any band in the genre, I’d say they remind me a bit of Russian Circles’ slower songs. Other than sharing a refreshing approach to the genre, both bands are able to create an incredibly dark atmosphere with their songs. The two bands share many similarities; however Sterling is far from ripping Russian Circles off. A major difference between the two is Sterling’s usage of a piano throughout their songs. The piano works most of the time, though I do feel this aspect has a lot of room to improve. Something else I would like to see from this band in the future is for them is a pick up the speed every now and then, but that’s more my personal preference for fast songs winning over than a flaw with the album.
Sterling’s ability to keep songs interesting is largely due to their willingness to change things up. This is something that immediately wins my respect and is part of what eventually makes a band great, no matter the genre. They have the ability to use their music to create a desolate landscape that is no less beautiful for being so. Cursed would not be a terrible starting point for someone interested in getting into the instrumental rock genre, which in particular can be fairly troubling when deciding what to listen to. So while Sterling have not quite reached the top, they are fighting their way up there, and I for one will be keeping my eye out for anything they release in the future.
Record Label: File 13
Release Date: March 20, 2007
Lately I have been enthusiastically plunging into the depths of the instrumental rock (or post-rock) genre. Being relatively new to a genre is, at first, great. There's the opportunity to listen to all the top artists of the genre one after another, hearing stunningly beautiful songs from the likes of Pelican, Red Sparowes, and Explosions in the Sky as well as the spastic violence of Russian Circles. Then something happens; the well of great bands runs dry. After being spoiled in such a way, any band that might typically be “average” is looked down upon and ignored. This is why Sterling’s album Cursed surprised me. I had never heard of Sterling before listening to their album, and they are far from the elite in the genre. Nonetheless, the potential of the band is immediately evident upon first listen. So while the instrumental rock genre used to be black and white to me, with bands either making the best music around or being mind-numbingly boring, Sterling are the first band I would place in that grey area between.
What may be the most difficult aspect for an instrumental rock band is for them to consistently keep their music from fading into the background. It is quite a feat when a band is able to make a song in excess of ten minutes engaging from start to finish. This is no different for Sterling, as Cursed is over 35 minutes long and has only three tracks. For the most part Sterling is able to pull this off, though the songs do begin to fade out at some points. However, the band manages to change things up just enough to make listening to the entirety of their songs enjoyable and not at all a chore.
Another big plus in favor of Sterling is that they do not use the same old Explosions in the Sky formula of slowly building up to the eventual climax. Though this might make the songs lose some of their cohesiveness, overall it works well. If I had to compare them to any band in the genre, I’d say they remind me a bit of Russian Circles’ slower songs. Other than sharing a refreshing approach to the genre, both bands are able to create an incredibly dark atmosphere with their songs. The two bands share many similarities; however Sterling is far from ripping Russian Circles off. A major difference between the two is Sterling’s usage of a piano throughout their songs. The piano works most of the time, though I do feel this aspect has a lot of room to improve. Something else I would like to see from this band in the future is for them is a pick up the speed every now and then, but that’s more my personal preference for fast songs winning over than a flaw with the album.
Sterling’s ability to keep songs interesting is largely due to their willingness to change things up. This is something that immediately wins my respect and is part of what eventually makes a band great, no matter the genre. They have the ability to use their music to create a desolate landscape that is no less beautiful for being so. Cursed would not be a terrible starting point for someone interested in getting into the instrumental rock genre, which in particular can be fairly troubling when deciding what to listen to. So while Sterling have not quite reached the top, they are fighting their way up there, and I for one will be keeping my eye out for anything they release in the future.