As the band responsible for kickstarting October’s Post. Festival, Minor Movements was an unknown quantity for a lot of attendees. But after an eye-opening set the Lincoln, Nebraska quartet established themselves firmly on the radar moving into 2019. Their third album, Bloom, is releasing in March, and today we have the opportunity to premiere the second single, entitled “Hamatreya.” The first track, “We Dreamed Of Each Other” appeared on the A Thousand Arms “Hemispheres, Vol. III” comp in January – a more concise and straightforward track, it set the initial tone for the upcoming record, but with “Hamatreya” we see the band unfolding its wings a bit, taking a more expansive approach, and ultimately touching down upon a wider range of ideas.
Bloom is one of those records that feels like a very collaborative effort – there is equal respect paid to texture, groove, melodies and riffs, a result of each member bringing their own unique influences to the table during the songwriting process. Guitarist Nic Brant notes that he is more of a soundscapes guy, and his impact can be felt most during the track’s calming final third, whereas having a new full-time bass player has helped lock down the pulsing rhythms present during the first half. Brant defers to the emergence of other members during the writing of the album when crediting the increased focus on heavy, emotionally impactful riffing, seen as “Hamatreya” ascends towards its ever-intensifying mid-point. The song title derives from an Emerson poem of the same name which reflects the band’s central sonic theme of heeding the powers of nature and respecting the grandeur of the Earth in relation to our relatively insignificant role in its long history, as lesson well-worth fully engaging at this stage in history.
Keep eyes open for the release of Bloom in March, as it features an eight song track listing that delivers so much of what post-rock fans desire from the genre, nearly entirely devoid of weak spots. This is the newest in a series of records that is sure to make 2019 one of the most memorable in recent post-rock history. You can check out more of the band’s music on their Bandcamp page.