2011 was a key year in my music listening history. It was the year I plunged into reviewing, and also the year I heard several paradigm shifting records. They included Youth Lagoon’s The Year of Hibernation, Bon Iver’s self-titled, and O’Brother’s Garden Window. How could music be so heavy yet so beautiful? What this band had going I simply hadn’t heard before. Something internally must have giggled with glee when I heard about the release of Disillusion.
This, their sophomore full length, ought to cement O’Brother as a force to be reckoned with in the umbrella of post-metal and rock music in general. What vocalist Tanner Merrit does to his voice is both unique and widely appealing. And his four friends are great too. Whether it’s the Dang brothers simultaneously head banging, Michael Martens thundering on his simpler-than-it-sounds drum kit, or Jordan McGhin providing ample guitar back up, these boys have got it. And they brought it in a big way on Disillusion.
The most striking thing about Disillusion is its cohesiveness. Garden Window has moments of awe, while Disillusion finds a properly epic rock mood and sticks there for the duration of the album. The issue is that Garden Window‘s few moments of awe are so spectacular that the lack thereof in Disillusion might be a surprise to some. Consider this however – there are no moments because the whole album is one “moment.” You just have to look at the big picture.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvLFGf2Y2-s&h=297&w=450]This isn’t to say that I don’t have my personal preferences about favorite tracks. I am certain that most people will have differing opinions about what their favorite tracks are. “Transient” is perhaps the most catchy of the tracks, so a lot will probably gravitate toward this. Another personal favorite is the 9 minute long “Oblivion” which wavers from stormy guitars to solace seamlessly, and back again. “Context” is a highlight as well, and could have fit with the Garden Window sessions just as well.
So, yes, the hype is true; buy this record and support the band any way you can – perhaps on their tour with Native and Daylight this fall. I’ll be there, sure to wake up with a “bangover” the next morning.
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