You know it takes a lot to get to me to listen to cinematic, sweeping post-rock these days. Luckily, Din of Celestial Birds have what it takes. It's hard to point to exactly what makes it so I have the patience for their song structures. Maybe it's the excellent bass? Maybe it's the feeling that something's actually being constructed, instead of just sketched absentmindedly? Maybe it's because the payoffs are just that good? OK it's probably the bass. Jokes aside, I love their new single, "From This Summit We Can See The Heavens & Stars" which I am very happy to premiere right here for you today alongside a nice, shiny, colorful video. Head on down below!
For me, the moment I was sold was the moment I heard the bridge after the first crescendo, around the three minutes and twenty five seconds mark. Man, I just love how the transition is handled. The return of the main riff is also glorious, embellished by some absolutely gorgeous percussion work and a dreamy synth line which does just what it needs to do without being overtly ostentatious. In general, that's the guiding principle here: no one instrument takes center stage or overstays its welcome. Instead, everything flows together really well, creating that big, sweeping, epic feeling that you want from this kind of post-rock.
OK but let's talk about that bass again: I just adore everything that happens after that main riff returns and the track starts to build up to its (awesome) outro. There's so much agility in the bass playing there and a really good balance (again) between taking over the sound of the track and buoying up everyone else's sound. It's such a cool example of how these guys approach their compositions, letting individual ideas and moments shine without losing sight of the track's progression and ultimate destination.
If you liked what you heard, make sure to head on over to one of these links to pre-order the album the single is from, Takeoff & Landings, which releases August 7th from (check it out) both Big Scary Monsters and A Thousand Arms (and also Tomato Records in China, cool!).