Entry 988 - Godspeed You Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.

Style: Post rock

Primary Emotions/Themes: The perfection of the ebb and flow that encapsulates the post rock genre

Thoughts: Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. The sounds of Rockets Falling on Rocket Falls. 

Yanqui U.X.O. was to be the final Godspeed album. This is probably the most "band" focused album that the group has... the most rock oriented. These lengthy instrumentals sees Godspeed working together in ways that they have not in the past. Instead of the music sounding more like classical arrangements, the music sounds more like it was written for guitar.

That does not mean that the guitar is always the lead instrument, but rather that the music was written for a lead instrument and for many backing instruments in an ensemble... a band. Sometimes a violin will take on the lead instrument, other times the lead will be a guitar... other times still the cello will take the lead. Whoever has the lead isn't really the important thing here though. What is important is that this album represents a fundamental shift in the way that the music is created.

Instead of a bunch of complimentary instruments playing their own thing then coming together for a huge climax, the music now has a more streamlined approach. The music has a more singular approach. The ambience of the previous album has been toned down as well. Not so much that it's been eliminated, but it certainly plays a lesser role. 

What Yanqui U.X.O. lacks from the previous releases, it makes up for in the visual aspect of the sound. This is highly cinematic in the way the band creates the music. The aforementioned thumps on Rocket Falls is a primary example. The last five minutes of that song is the band building a slow march through guitar chords and pizzicato on the string instruments to create an absolutely overwhelming conclusion of the song.

All things must evolve, and evolve Godspeed does. None of their albums are the same, yet they retain a nearly instantly recognizable sound. The music is another chapter in their exceptional discography, and for the longest time was one hell of a swansong.