Well, hello there. It's time for Post Rock Post! We haven't done one of these in a while now. That's not because the music has been bad; there have been a lot of great releases in the "post" spaces this year, as the post below will show you. But it's safe to say that our interests have laid elsewhere. We've been listening to plenty of "post", again as the below post will show, but it hasn't really occupied our minds. And maybe that is, in a way, something to say about the genre. Last year had a wave of bands that drew inspiration from grunge and shoegaze. This year, it doesn't feel like there's a big narrative. Maybe that's just us not engaging. Maybe it's coincidence. But regardless, it feels to us like there's less to latch on to, less of a narrative to tell.
So, no need for that! Instead, here is a list of some great releases, for a very loose definition of the term "post-rock". Please enjoy!
-Eden Kupermintz
Eden’s Top 10 Sad and Sometimes Happy Albums
albinobeach - Circa
It took me a while to get to Circa, which is weird considering that I really liked The Ladder which albinobeach released back in 2020. Like that album, Circa has a sort of hazy, dreamy mood that’s hard to pin down as it swims in between jazz, art, and post rock. Give this one a try sooner rather than later; there’s a lot to discover in its humble run-time.
wthAura - Keep Going
The enigma and wonder that is wthAura keeps on giving. Keep Going is not as off-the-chain wild as Grocery but incorporates a lot of the sounds and structures that wthAura has been exploring since that release with his numerous singles and short EPs. From the first track (one of my favorites of the year) and all the way to the end, Keep Going does what its name implies and just doesn’t stop swimming between glitches, odd-ball grooves, and great guitars.
GoGo Penguin - Necessary Fictions
By now, I think it’s safe to say that GoGo Penguin have cemented themselves as the undisputed leaders of the kind of warm and groovy nu-jazz that we’ve seen spring up everywhere the last few years. Not that I didn’t enjoy their last few releases but Necessary Fictions feels like a return to form, with more structure and progression than track-by-track impact. It’s an album that works incredibly well as a whole and if you listen to it while travelling, your heart will expand at least two sizes.
Telepathy - Transmissions
The boys. The lads. The homies. Etc. Telepathy is one of the best bands I’m most proud to call “friends of the blog” as they continue their plunge into more and more robust post-metal. Even though Transmissions is probably their heaviest album to date, they still manage to cling to the technicality and flair that first drew us to them. Telepathy always keep one eye on track structure and momentum which means that the album’s energy never flags. From cavernous echo through charged feedback and all the way to mighty, oceanic grooves, Transmissions is another entry in one of post-metal’s best careers.
Kjjjjjjjjj - Bi Won
I still remember looking at some release roundup or another and going “holy shit, new Kjjjjjjjjj?” I thought that Centro De Dispersión was one of 2020’s most underrated albums and couldn’t understand why more people weren’t paying attention to it. That seems to also be the case with Bi Won, even if it is more contemplative and mysterious. Do me a favor and listen to “Dálmata”. Try to stay ambivalent in the face of that drum/bass groove and how the track constructs itself around it. I don’t think you’ll be able to and from there, you can join me in following one of the best kinda-mathy, kinda-posty rock bands around.
Museum of Light - Diviner
“Does the body die?” I have had that opening line from Museum of Light’s Diviner stuck in my head pretty much all year. It helps that it’s followed by one of the sickest, most catchy riffs I’ve heard in a long time. Later down the road, as I’ve written about before, the album takes some surprising turns, eventually abandoning groove for extremely heartfelt ambience and post-metal impact. I really, really, really recommend listening to this album in one sitting as much as you can; the effect of going from “Body” to “Breathe” is second to none this year.
Naxatras - V
Should I be writing about this one for Doomsday? Who knows; psychedelic rock is weird like that, as its emphasis on ambience places it firmly within the circles of Post Rock Post but its predilection for groove makes it just as comfortable in doomier circles. But for now, I’d like to emphasize V’s exceptional ability to wave tapestries of sound, a sable blanket of bass-heavy tunes that has put me more in a contemplative mood than a dancing mood this year. When night falls and the breeze blows, I reach for no album other than this one; it opens my mind and sends me swimming between the stars, regardless of genre. It is hands down the richest album I’ve heard this year and if you too dream of the galaxy, this one is for you.
We Lost the Sea - A Single Flower
As I wrote in my review, the style of “cinematic” post-rock is no longer one which fully captures my heart (which is funny because I’m writing this entry from Indianapolis, where I’m currently at for Post Fest). But somehow, the wizards in We Lost the Sea are able to still inject this genre with as much magic and impact as possible. A Single Flower is a masterclass in the rhythms of build up and release that power this type of post-rock, showcasing one of the greatest bands to ever dabble in it and their strength. It’s wild to me that a decade after the release of Departure Songs, one of the best post-rock albums ever made, We Lost the Sea are still out there, exploring exactly what makes this kind of epic, expansive post-rock work. Instead of replicating the formula, they interrogate it, to find out, and execute, what draws people to it from the get go. A Single Flower is the crescendo based post-rock album to beat and no one has come, or probably will come, even close.
Kaschalot - Anemoia
How many years do you think it will take for post-rock to shake the plodding, pondersome and, to be frank, boring personality that the first and second waves of the style earned it? Don’t get me wrong, there are some great albums in there, some of my favorites in fact, but god, I’m so tired of having to explain to people that no, I don’t listen to fifteen minute songs that are all build-up. Well, I do actually do that. Often. But they’re good ones, OK? Mostly though, I take my post-rock explosive, energetic and danceable these days and there is no one out there who does that better than Kaschalot. No, really; I think they are the best band in this style of groove-heavy, scintillating, bouncy post-rock today, especially now that sleepmakeswaves are doing their own, dreamier thing.
It’s hard to say exactly why that is. The components are not that unique: the bass is loud, the guitars are chaotic and progressive, and the drums are punchy. But everything Kaschalot does, and especially on Anemoia, just pops off of the track and straight into my ears and heart and legs. They have this unstoppable energy to them. Maybe it’s about economy; nothing feels wasted, everything has a purpose, everything drives towards some purpose that the track is serving. Put another way, Anemoia is almost thirty seven minutes long but the minutes seem to fly when I’m listening to it, buoyed from track to track through energetic riff after another. Even when Kaschalot take breaks for quieter passages, everything seems charged. They are the best example for how I want post-rock to sound today and I wish everyone around them took note.
Object Unto Earth - The Grim Village
Here we are again, breaching the top three of a mid-year list, whereupon we usually start treading familiar ground. By definition, the writer making this list would have written about these albums before; they are some of his favorites from the year. And yet, I don’t like the solution of simply removing them in favor of something else; the list is supposed to reflect the writer’s preferences and these are mine. The Grim Village is one of my most listened to albums of the year; it would be very weird not to include it here. But surely, by now, anyone who keeps up with my writing knows about this release (including, but not limited to, the blog’s Discord, which I believe is now the single largest online concentration of fans of Object Unto Earth).
So, if this album is included by definition, what should I write here? Describing the music is futile, since as mentioned above, you’re probably already familiar with the band’s unique combo of math-rock, emo, and progressive rock. So, instead, I’ll write about the strange phenomenon of albums becoming “familiar”. On one hand, it’s not really strange by which I mean that it follows a linear logic: the more you listen to an album, the more it becomes familiar to you. If you love it, it becomes familiar to you like home - safe, warm, comforting, even if the aural and lyrical content of the album is not “positive”. But, on the other hand, that linear logic doesn’t often stand the test of time. If it did, then older albums would feel “more familiar” and albums would take time to reach the same status as them.
In reality, The Grim Village is a fantastic example of how, sometimes, albums “leapfrog” spans of time and become essential to my listening habits in a few weeks or months. The Grim Village, by virtue of its structure and concept, has become a “go to” for me over the past few months of listening. I reach for it instinctually now, one of the staples of my rotation. This is good but also hides a certain negative to it, which is that my ears have started to take the album for granted. Which, funnily enough, is another great reason to include it on a list like this, since it “forces” me to write about it and really listen to it deeply again. And so I have and, in the course of it, remembered why it became such a staple. All of which is written to repeat myself anyhow, here at the outset - listen to this album. Its agility in exploring its different genres, and in sketching out its unique concept, is really second to none.
Trent’s Top Albums of Varying Post-Rock Styles
The Emo Ones
Moving Mountains - Pruning the Lower Limbs
Last year if you told me my two favourite bands doing an emo-influenced post-rock sound who both were on extended hiatuses were reuniting and putting out full-lengths within a month of another, I wouldn’t believe you. Moving Mountains has been one of my all-time favourite bands since I first heard their debut Pneuma way back in the late 00s for its staggering fusion of relatably angsty anthemic punk, melancholic indie-emo of bands like Death Cab, and heart-rendering cinematic post-rock instrumentation. They’d go on to evolve with each album into something a little different, but it was always quality. Then they went quiet, for a decade. Finally the group from eastern NY has emerged again with the same lineup and a new album that hits just like I remember.
Pruning the Lower Limbs feels like a natural continuation from their last self-titled album, taking a more “grown up” route where a form of moody alternative/indie rock took focus compared to their early emo-post-rock sound. The song-writing has more emphasis on getting the most out of Greg’s strong vocal performance, though the rhythm and percussion sections equally shine throughout. Little piano melodies, especially on single “Ghosts” add another layer to compliment the bittersweet atmosphere. That said, I wouldn’t be writing this here if the post-rock was completely gone, as there’s just enough cathartic swells and repetitious introspection to satisfy that sort of vulnerability that writing good post-rock requires. However I would categorize this as something of a grower, as while relatively simple on the surface, on each subsequent listen there have been beautiful subtleties that stand out, and entire songs that connected better in a different mood. Warm production also helps get the most out of this and compliments the smooth and deeper vocal lines. I’m just really glad this band is sharing beautiful music again with the world.
Athletics - What Makes You Think This is How it All Ends?
If you’re wondering what my second favourite band doing a post-rock by way of emo thing who also just reunited after a near decade long hiatus alluded to above, I’m referring to another NY band called Athletics. From an instrumental side, these guys have stayed much more in that later wave of American post-rock, keeping some of that The Appleseed Cast spirit alive (could use a new album from them too). They love those swelling Explosions in the Sky riffs, intermixed with jittery ascending and descending scales. Passionate vocals are worked in to make the most of the explosive cathartic sections, and to add another layer of melancholy. Like MovMou, /album/ is very much a continuation of everything we've come to know and love about this band and we're fortunate to have these two forces behind this niche sound back at the top of their game.
An underrated subtle quality of travelling is how music can enrich your memory of specific places and experiences, and in turn these sights and experiences can enrich that music. Of course our senses have been known to heighten memories, and listening to music in headphones staring out the window of a train, or just walking around by yourself seemingly really triggers that connection. This feels particularly true when that music is something with an emotional weight to it, which post-rock really seems to shine for. I was able to experience this walking around the streets of Budapest a few weeks ago, with the latest from Moving Mountains and Athletics being a comforting, steadying presence in a new place of which I’ll likely long connect these albums to.
Bee Hive Ski Race - Unlimited Violence Apologia
And for a completely brand new face to the emo post-rock world, I’ve been enamored with the debut full-length Unlimited Violence Apologia from a young Ohio group called Bee Hive Ski Race. I actually covered this one earlier this year for Rotten to the Core, as it’s also much more than just emo and post-rock, with a range of post-hardcore, screamo and shoegaze influences throughout for an eclectic and super engaging listen. From song to song it often sounds like multiple different bands at once, but it all works together towards this intensely passionate and cathartic work of art. Some real heart-on-their-sleeves earnestness here with great LGBT+ themed lyricism.
The Weird Ones
Herumic - Seeking Darkness
A side-project of the internet’s new favourite shoegaze artist Parannoul, Herumic finds the South Korean solo-artist ditching some of the dense layers of reverb for well written post-rock with plenty of tension building and releasing crescendos, with just enough weirdness to still appease fans of Parannoul’s experimental side. Infectious riffs build and sway with psychedelic and krautrock-influence over hypnotic backing vocal chants for a swirling out-of-body experience. And while not as ethereal as their shoegaze counterpart, this is certainly still dense, and heavy, as tracks build to walls of dissonant sound that hit you like a satisfying wave crash on a hot day at a beach.
Hesse Kassel - La Brea
South America remains one of the most underrated hot beds for post-rock and experimental music, and the latest to break-through that invisible barrier is Chilean group Hesse Kassel. This album goes a ton of places and does it all immaculately with an impressive balance of sheer technical acumen, and a whole lot of soul. Their debut album La Brea draws from Chilean folk music to avant-prog and jazz, to noise rock and art punk, all the way to uplifting post-rock staples like And So I Watch You From Afar and Yndi Halda.
Caroline - Caroline 2
Caroline’s self-titled debut was one of my favourites of 2022, and they’ve somehow outdid themselves with this follow-up. A blissfully weird mash of avant-folk and chamber post-rock that feels like London’s response to A Silver Mt. Zion. This time around the 8-piece collective have gotten more dynamic, progressive and daring, finding a great balance between organically raw and noisily distorted, all while remaining deeply intimate.
The Purists
BRUIT ≤ - The Age of Ephemerality
It's refreshing seeing a post-rock album be universally critically praised online outside of our little post-rock circle, that isn't made by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, nor purely an ode to the first wave of the genre or be borderline an art rock album. BRUIT ≤ take the conventions of modern crescendo-core and show there's still so much experimentation and barrier-pushing possible. From dense pulsating 65daysofstatic-like walls of synths to soaring guitar melodies and heartbreaking string flourishes, they excel at using contrast to show light coming through the dark. On top of all of this is anti-capitalistic spoken word social commentary, of which they have always backed up in the real world, as this album was never made available on streaming platforms.
We Lost The Sea - A Single Flower
We Lost The Sea are masters of their craft, and that craft is writing deeply profound instrumental music that fills you with electricity and tears. I wouldn't have been shocked nor disappointed if they never were able to match the heights of Departure Songs, but they fucking did. These madlads from down under have done it again. For something that's relatively not all that heavy, there's so much weight and power to their music. It’s epic, atmospheric, emotionally connecting - what else do you want from a post-rock album.
Myriad Drone - A World Without Us
New Zealand's Myriad Drone came onto the scene back in 2019 and immediately took notice in part due to the stunning artwork of their debut (something that's carried over with this album) but also for their adventurous song-writing that feels like it takes you on a journey. This dynamic songwriting is continued on A World Without Us. Natural shifts between pummeling post-metal with the occasional harsh vocals and contemplative delicate sections feel like you're experiencing a cinematic epic with each band member as an actor showcasing a range of human emotions.
Message to Bears - Tired Eyes, Waking Hearts
Let's wind down. Message to Bears were one of my introductions to the ambient side of post-rock way back in 2009. Since then, the UK solo-artist has gone on to release 7 albums, with their latest Tired Eyes, Waking Hearts being perhaps the strongest. It flows from what I’m going to refer to as elevated spa music, to breathtaking post-rocky string melodies, with early M83-style synthesized angelic vocal lines repeating like a calming mantra.