Explosions In The Sky

Current masters of the quiet-loud dynamic and arguably the best live show around, Explosions in the Sky have taken the gallant step of re-issuing their long out of print debut album. Remastered from the original tapes, there are plenty of beautiful moments that will melt the brains of fans who recently latched onto them, but this is really the aural equivalent of a pimply high school yearbook photo. There is good reason why they were reticent about putting this out into their ever-growing fan base, as the ferocity that is their hallmark seems still in its infancy. When "Magic Hours” shreds and pounds its way through its climax, there’s still just enough coarseness around the edges to see how their incredibly tight, headphone-vibrating climaxes came to be. But, where the climaxes weren’t as tight-knit, the ambient intros actually come off a bit better, as in "Look into the Air.” This is probably due to the band’s uncertainty, and it lends a more natural feel as it doesn’t feel as deliberate as later efforts. While not as important or urgent as Those Who Tell the Truth…, fans should instead think of this as fireworks in the sky: pretty and colourful, yet lacking the awe-inducing fear of their older brothers.