Another day, another fantastic piece of music from the New Wave of American Post Rock, a movement in which Ranges have been thickly embedded for years now. Through their work on their label, A Thousand Arms, and through the music they themselves make, Ranges have come to exemplify for many (this writer included) the power and potential extant within the post-rock being made today in North America. On their latest single, “Demagogue”, hot off the press for their upcoming release Babel, Ranges display the somewhat darker, more deeply resonant sound that typifies said release. The bass churns a bit harder, the drums hit deeper, and the guitars seem to draw a deluge rather than a mist. It’s still ethereal and “properly” delayed, but there’s a feeling of a cloak, a heaviness, an introversion that infects “Demagogue”. Head on down below to partake from it yourself.
I honestly think the main difference, or at least the difference that’s made the most impact on me, is the bass tone. It feels much more robust than previously produced, adding this thick, undulating layer to the bottom of the track that irresistibly pulls on my ears. The rest of the instrumentation then becomes a second node, a polar to which my ear oscillates, moving between the deep grumbles of the bass and the characteristically resplendent guitars. As usual as well, Rangers guide our listening through the rise and fall of the track, preferring prompt decisiveness and economy to get their message across.
Which is not to say that Babel doesn’t have something in store for you crescendo aficionados out there. It’s a post-rock album through and through, evocative and majestic as you’d expect. Babel releases on the 30th September. Pre-orders start on the 9th through this absolutely stacked list of labels: A Thousand Arms (US), dunk!records (EU), Bird’s Robe Records (AU), LeRock Psicophonique (SA). You can bet that the release will be joined by all the usual deluxe packages, including limited edition vinyl and other beauties. Keep your ears and eyes set on the band’s Bandcamp as we near release and more details reveal themselves.