by Donte Kirby
If you’ve never listened to Explosions in the Sky, their album How Strange, Innocence is as good a starting point as any. In fact, it is the starting point, as it’s their debut album. Explosion in the Sky is a good jumping off point period if you’re looking to jump into the pool of the instrumental side of music.
As the title implies, How Strange, Innocence evokes feelings of peace and harmony. Light strumming, gentle riffs and warmth are a hallmark of the tracks. Songs such as “Magic Hours” will lull you in with gentle chords and transition into more up-tempo heavier guitar riffs, a contrast that makes each section more powerful and emotionally resonant.
Some may be skeptical about a songs ability to evoke intense emotion without the aid of lyrics or a particularly emotive singer, but the titles of songs often get you in the right frame of mind. “A Song for Our Fathers”, “Glittering Blackness”, “Remember Me as a Time of Day”…these are titles that I’m sure had as much thought go into them as any verse, chorus or hook. Even the title of the album speaks to the listener and if you listen with that thought in mind the album takes on a whole different feel. Not to mention the instruments being more expressive than your average singer.
To instrumentalist aficionados, I’m probably not saying anything they don’t already know, but if you haven’t listened to Explosions in the Sky, give them a try. Growing up, I would listen to and glorify singers without giving much thought to the backing tracks they sung on or the person behind them hitting a drum or plucking a bass. Listening to Explosions in the Sky really broadened my horizons and opened me up to appreciating all the elements of music.
