On Friday, February 24, New Jersey’s own The Bowling Alley Sound will release their self-titled EP on their label 46 West. Their sophomore release brings musical and physical growth, as the original 4-piece has now transformed into a quintet with the addition of bassist and album cover artist, Andrew Capuano.
The post-rock follow up to their 2014 debut, Metaphysical You, begins with the most energetic release of the four-track list, “Henry and Clark.” Well-known bands in the post-rock genre such as Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai can be heard echoed in their opening song as EP producer and guitarist, Mike Basil, kicks it off with a soft and subtle rift. Nick Looney’s drum playing anchors the song in place until the final section finds Issac Rubins’ violin eerily bringing the song to an end.
“Night Flight” recreated the rich and repetitive textures heard in the first track, but much like the song title, the listener is reminded of dreams about flying. While the song will not make you want to get up and dance, or get up at all really, it would fit well at a yoga studio, meditation session, or music score of a Planet Earth episode.
During the final two tracks, they inject muffled crowd noise to bring the listening audience together as one with the band. The group attempts vocals for the first time during the closing track, “The Conversation Of The Street Lights Will Pass As Quickly As Our Words,” a title almost as long as the EP itself. The post-rock vocal approach is very different from the typical verse-chorus structure found in many other rock genres, and The Bowling Alley Sound stay true to form using soft, spoken words to poetically describe a 2017 New Year’s resolution. While I would have liked to hear more trumpet textures from Danny Molloy, the final track sends the listener off in a tranquil and serene mood.
The digital-only release of The Bowling Alley Sound will be available on all major platforms and can be pre-ordered now for only $1 (US currency).
Key Tracks: Henry and Clark, The Conversation Of The Street Lights Will Pass As Quickly As Our Words
Comments are closed.