I’ve long been drawn to post-rock that excels at contrast. It is a genre which at times is stereotyped as music specific for certain moods, scenarios or situations. While there is obvious truth to its effectiveness at those, numerous bands are able to bring out a wide spectrum of emotional responses with dynamic soundscapes which make for a totally engaging and immersive listening experience. The new single from the Atlanta, GA group Of The Vine, timely titled “Left Alone” is a prime example of this.
With this track we get our first glimpse into the upcoming third album from Of the Vine also titled Left Alone, their first in five-years. You’re immediately grabbed by the dreamy atmospheric reverb of the vocals, a new addition for the band. Along with a glacier-paced post-metal riff the combination immediately takes on something of a slow-core vibe. It feels a bit influenced by early post-rock groups like Bark Psychosis and Talk Talk. Taking into account the more scraping heaviness, there’s a welcoming amount of Holy Fawn. Like these bands Of The Vine have that ability to envelop the listener into almost a feeling of weightlessness.
The drumming is another stand out here. They draw you into a meditative trance during one of the many transitions of “Left Alone.” A break in the sound grows into a slow solo drum pattern over a ghostly vocal harmonization and soft synth vibration. The track gradually grows in tempo and intensity with the drumming adding further complexities, blastbeats and unique flair. It’s a textbook post-rock crescendo with a strong sense of personality.
Around the midpoint is where that aforementioned contrast really shines, as we go from black metal influence into a blissful ambiance that stretches out for the remainder of the track. I think it should be mentioned for context that this is also the album opener, and is a great tease into what the album becomes as a whole. Check out Left Alone when it drops this May via our friends at Dunk!records, and stream the title-track below! Also find them Bandcamp.