After their fantastic second album, Pelican return with City of Echoes. It is another quality performance from the boys but it does not always reach the same highs as The Fire in our Throats will Beckon the Thaw or the intensity of their live performance. That being said, Pelican are still on top of their game. It's just unfortunate that they have previously proven themselves to be so good that all their new music is subject to tougher scrutiny.
City of Echoes, there is always a glimmer of sunshine present. Right up the closing notes of "A Delicate Sense of Balance," the group keeps my spirit high, which is a delightful change to being aurally assaulted. It leaves me with renewed vigor for an aural assault after Pelican.
I am surprised that they have not made a bigger name for themselves considering the likes of Isis and Tool have done so. Perhaps it is the lack of vocals that is stopping them from moving up the sales ladder but their sound is very open in terms of appeal while still keeping their credibility. There are a few moments on City of Echoes with nods towards mainstream stadium rock which are bombastic enough to transcend any mental images of a guitarist standing on a cliff face wailing on his guitar. Of course, there is also the pummelling power that is expected from Pelican but it is the blending of cool influences with usually suspect ones that make this music work; "Lost in the Headlights" sees the ghosts of Black Flag and Metallica duking it out. It should be cheesy but it isn't, especially towards the end when all influences become fully assimilated.
Credit is due to Aaron Turner for his work on the album's sleeve: the seaweed-like tendrils with the gloss spotted text combine beautifully to reflect the music. It is too bad that the same effort is not put into all of Hydra Head's releases but obviously Turner does not have the time to do a lot of design on top of his already busy schedule. Although, once he keeps getting the all important music out on his label then I have little reason to complain.
While City of Echoes is not their best album, it would be churlish of me to suggest that it is anything short of great. Pelican continue to impress me and I look forward to hearing how this material pans out live considering the stage is their true calling in this life. Luckily, they are not exactly dull in the studio so I will be giving this its fair share of spins in the meantime.
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