Now I'm beginning to sound like Efrim Menuck. This is Godspeed You! Black Emperor's debut album, "F♯ A♯ ∞", or rather "F Sharp, A Sharp, Infinity". It's an hour long collection of three tracks, "The Dead Flag Blues", "East Hastings" and "Providence" each detailing the downfall of humanity. I goddamn love concept albums. Expect more of them.
Each of the three pieces contain several different movements, with the names almost as depressing as the music, for example, "The Sad Mafioso", "Kicking Horse on Brokenhill" or even "Nothing's Alrite in Our Life...". I never knew Canadians can be so gloomy. Montreal must be a really bleak place to live. But honestly, the music is arranged beautifully. Each movement is arranged with an atmosphere of frailty to it. Voice samples are used to full effect here, such as near the end of "East Hastings" as the listener is presented with a haunting collage of wails and moans before the final composition begins, adding a sense of closure for the little world that the listener is transported to, seen as well in the voice overs and vox-pop interviews at the start of each track. However, the instrumentation is obviously the more prominent. Take the closing section of "The Dead Flag Blues", the little glockenspiel pings add a delicate layer of hope to a bleak opening track, which is of course crushed as soon as the second track kicks in. The way Godspeed captures human emotion in their music is admirable.
Speaking of layers, they're important. As with many post rock bands, an important aspect to the music is the way everything evolves. Godspeed include a huge array of instruments on this record with guitars, cellos, violins, bagpipes, marimbas, everything. All of these instruments are used with precision to add layers of atmosphere to the music and eventually build to the Earth-shattering crescendo, at the end of "Providence".
Said track finishes with a collection of cold, droning ambient sounds with a ghostlike voice sample layered over the top, endlessly repeating "Where are you going?". It's hauntingly beautiful.
For me, this album was very important. It marked the turning point for me in my discovery in music when I realised that music didn't have to be restricted to the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure. My taste began to expand, much like the music that Godspeed have composed in this masterpiece of a record.
Well, I'm listening to it now, and "East Hastings" is almost over. I'd might aswell end this musing here so I can enjoy the final track in peace. Seeya!
