The Coma Recovery

Goddverb

Written by: DR on 14/10/2011 00:28:38

Having established themselves as a go-to label for emo some years ago, now Deep Elm Records have established themselves a go-to label for post-rock. Of all the promos in this field I have reviewed released on this label, I don't think there has ever actually been a bad one. From Albuquerque, New Mexico, The Coma Recovery certainly don't buck this trend.

Whereas plenty of their label mates operate within the post-Appleseed Cast overlap of indie and post-rock, The Coma Recovery are strangely bleak as far as this label goes. Nodding more towards the likes of Mogwai and Pelican than anything remotely 'emo', "Goddverb" treads that unclear territory between post-rock and post-metal. They're certainly not going to pull any punches, either, as everything they go for they throw everything at. The build-ups aren't wasteful or pretentious, and the crescendos are simultaneously furious and atmospheric. Moreover, over repeated listens you'll begin to notice how textured they've intended it to be as effects are buried beneath the onslaught of guitars. However, despite how finely executed this album is... God Is An Astronaut beat them to this. As the title-track "Goddverb", in particular, plays currently, I'm stunned at how similarly it sounds to GIAA on their self-titled album. It's not a bad song, in fact it's pretty powerful, but it sounds so much like an absolute rip-off that I can barely sit through it. Another complaint is that the album centrepiece, "Opener", sounds like the sun-set, which should be a good thing, but it is simply awkward sitting in the middle of the album when it would, and should, have been a fitting closer.

Yet, the other three tracks "Illuminator", "Red Lightning Child / Great Emptiness" and "Liberator" are very capably executed efforts of just how engaging this style can be when done right. It's not even that the two aforementioned songs I picked at are downright awful, it's that, as someone who has listened to more than his fair share of this genre, I can't help but wonder why, or even how, a band who so clearly know their way around post-rock could make such mistakes. I am struggling to get over those hurdles because they hinder the overall listening experience of "Goddverb". If you don't care about such things and just want some crescendos and soaring guitars and walls of noise, you won't go wrong with "Goddverb".

While Deep Elm Records can still be proud to have a band as talented as The Coma Recovery on their roster, I can't help but feel the band have tripped themselves up, which is a shame because this could have been a release aimed at our 'great' scores instead of our 'good' ones.

7

Download: Red Lightning Child / Great Emptiness, Illuminator
For The Fans of: God Is An Astronaut, Beware of Safety, Russian Circles, Pelican
Listen: Deep Elm Digital

Release Date 20.07.2011
Deep Elm Records

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