Years Of Rice And Salt - Nothing Of Cities

When I posted a new album release for Years Of Rice And Salt's album, Nothing Of Cities, I said that it was one of the best releases of 2011. That was fairly early in the year so that didn't quite have much merit. However, with the year quickly ending I have still yet to find a release that has affected me quite like Nothing Of Cities. Don't get me wrong, Marionette ID's Alluvion is phenomenal, and Matt Stevens' Relic is simply amazing. And I don't want to seem like I'm comparing these amazing albums. But the way Nothing Of Cities affects me is not even comparable to anything else, not Caspian, not MONO, not Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and not even Arvo Pärt. And for me that is saying a lot, especially including Caspian (whom I highly admire). But I can't deny what I feel. Nothing Of Cities causes the passion and emotion within myself to overflow almost gracefully without harming the vessel itself, in comparison to Arvo Pärt shattering the vessel into unrecognizable pieces.

It's hard to pick a favourite track on this album because the entire album is so good. But this song that I have featured today... oh... this song just clenches on to me. At thirteen minutes it is safe to say that it is indeed a long track. And usually with such long tracks, particularly in Post-Rock, there is some kind of progression to an epic finale. But the progression is nothing like that, not like MONO or Yndi Halda. No, it's subtle. It's quiet, it's slow, but it's also really powerful. And then the buildup at 8:05... ooh man... the floor toms come in and the song suddenly turns dark, almost foreboding. The darkness lifts a little toward the end as the guitars go all in with all of their emotion. And then it ends. Even a half an hour later I feel the song.

Sometimes I like to say "Tears flowing" just to express the intensity of some music. But to my surprise, as much emotion is building up in me from this song, tears aren't flowing. GY!BE - Moya causes me to tear. Arvo Pärt - Silouans Song crushes me and reduces me to a crying mess. (And no, I do not suffer from depression nor do these tears have sad memories backing them.) But Nothing Of Cities doesn't do this, it doesn't crush my entire being like GY!BE, MONO, Arvo Pärt, or even Caspian at one time. No. Just like I express earlier, emotions and passion overflows, but the vessel is perfectly intact. Come to think of it, I don't think a song has really affected me quite like this one.

Lately I have not been able to stop thinking of this album. Nothing Of Cities has become my soundtrack to my revisit to Los Angeles.

[Last.fm] [Service Bell EP (Bandcamp)] [Nothing Of Cities (Bandcamp)] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Both albums are available at own donation on Bandcamp or on their site for £5.)