In November 2004 I saw this Canadian band play a set in Guelph, opening for a friend’s band in a tiny venue. On a live PA, their brand of post-rock made me immediately think of well-known genre predecessors Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. After two self-produced demos, this debut album released a year later reveals their sound to be low-key yet more eclectic while they explore glitch electronics, soundtrack atmospheres, and ambient jazz. A wide selection of instruments lead to them to be comparable with Chicago’s Tortoise or Toronto’s Do Make Say Think, where the mood can change dramatically track-by-track.

Six of the album’s eight songs are instrumental with complimentary male/female vocals appearing on “Seeing Stars” and closer “Skies Over Smokestacks” that sit back in the mix. In addition to the usual guitar/bass/drums rock setup, they also incorporate flute, clarinet, melodica, keyboards, and some programmed beats and synth ambience. “It’s Always Nighttime Somewhere” contains the album’s purest 2000s post-rock moment with its building instrumental crescendo but the remaining tracks sit adjacent to that genre. “Scenic Caves” and “The Queue” contain propulsive rolling percussion that give way to quieter atmospheric textures that get psychedelic. Then “Shiny New Penny” goes the full Aphex Twin ala “Bucephalus Bouncing Ball” with its playful, programmed sound effects.

My only personal complain about the production is how guitar fuzz is handled during a few noise rock moments such as on opener “Two Eyes”. At the treble end, it’s too thin for the surrounding high-hat crashes dominating the mix. I’m not expecting The Jesus Lizard levels of aggression here but those sections deserve more punch, especially for a new band’s first impression.

Unfortunately after this standalone album they immediately disbanded in early 2006 to pursue other projects. But this set of songs is worth revisiting for its boundary-free blend of genres.