THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Unwed Sailor and Chapters, Will’s Pub, Nov. 5
It seems instrumental rock has been somewhat dominated in recent years by the heavy end of the spectrum with the surge of metal-minded bands like Russian Circles and Pelican. But the return of eminent post-rock band Unwed Sailor was, top to bottom, a call back to bills seen much more in the early 2000s.
Orlando opener Chapters play the kind of intricate post-rock that could either soundtrack time-lapse nature photography or weave near-jazz latticework.
The signatures of the guitar-and-drums duo are challenging but handled with a technical attack that retains a crystalline touch. It’s an atmospheric and intellectual exercise that’s somewhere between math and ballet.
While Chapters work with a microscopic lens, Unwed Sailor go full widescreen. Shooting for the sky from the jump, the vehicle for Oklahoma bassist Johnathan Ford (ex-Pedro the Lion) manages enormous mileage and altitude for just a trio.
Instead of the skittering workouts of their math-inclined contemporaries, their sonic voyages are aerodynamic flights of triumph. Unwed Sailor keep pace with their post-rock peers in balmy sparkle, but they surpass them with a cinematic ability for elegant climax.
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Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com
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This article appears in Oct 31 – Nov 6, 2018.
