The very utterance, "instrumental post-rock genre", would make anybody cringe. But a band from Texas named Explosions in the Sky (Ibid.) are a reason why the genre may one day come into the mainstream. Of course, this particular band has had brushes with the mainstream limelight, most recently contributing all but a couple tracks to the "Friday Night Lights" movie soundtrack and had some speculating about their clairvoyant abilities after a 2001 release - erroneously thought to have come out September 10 - which had the words "This plane will crash tomorrow" scribbled on the album cover. But these guys produce some wicked music. After checking out their 2003 album, The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, I can actually understand why instrumental post-rock might be appealing to plebs and bougies alike: the ability to listen to an album while doing other things, like reading, cooking, or fucking, and have the music contribute rather than detract from the activity. I can't really describe the album...it just has a different affect upon every listen. I just know it helps me focus, which is probably attributable to the fact that there are no subpar vocals tacked on to the music. I am not by any stretch a fan of the "instrumental post-rock genre". But, I have to admit that there's one quality album out there. One slight thing though about this album, it should have just been one track - everything flows too well to discern where one track ends and another begins. And yeah, they're Emo, but Emo in the just right amount. One of the reviews I came across - I think it was pitchfork - put this album into the proper perspective: serious, but never on the verge of self-parody. Good album, although the cover may be a tad cliche. Plus, I think you could do your taxes to it, be in a decent mood, carry the 1, and not get audited - which is always nice.
