If not for the abbreviated beach season, I would consider moving to Montreal, the post-rock Mecca of the world. I imagine post-rock playlists in every mall, post-rock at the hockey rink, ice cream trucks playing GY!BE. If this impression is untrue, please don’t burst my bubble. The thought of kids dreaming of being post-rock musicians is too precious to surrender.
Earlier this year we featured Milanku, and today we turn our attention to Sauf les drones, now on their third album, expanding from a core septet to an even fuller dectet. With brass, clarinet, harp, harmonium, accordion and strings joining the post-rock palette of drums, bass and guitar, there was no way this band was going to fail. Their wealth of resources leads to some incredibly immersive works; and the presence of three long pieces (10, 12 and 13 minutes) means post-rock fans are bound to be satiated.
In its opening segment, “Vert-De-Gris” is modern composition, with audible breaths and a sense of spaciousness. Even when piano and bass join the fray, the impression is retained. Not until 3:31 does that first big note land, reminiscent of the turns made by Rachel’s. But even here, restraint is exercised; in fact, the track slows again before it advances. Halfway through the 10-minute piece, military snares produce a feeling of measured loss, honoring the title (“Green and Grey,” also the title of a New Model Army track). The music swells without breaking, evaporating in a series of barnstorming drones. The military connection is solidified in the following soundscape, using samples for heightened emotional impact.
The music is never bombastic, as each musician is granted their personal space. In “Pour Retenir Les Outardes,” a creaking hull is attached to a harmonium anchor. Brass weaves in like a curious fish. The drums alternate between surfacing and diving, allowing the violin and cello to share the rudder until the finale, when the guitars steer the ship to port. “Solstice fané” is born in a bed of field recordings and built on a foundation of drones; modern composition takes over for a while, but post-rock finally conquers all. The wordless singing that closes the set embodies an unspoken hope that the green will conquer the grey and all will be serene once again. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 