Beach Sloth

Elara - Soundtrack For a Quiet Place 6.6

                Elara’s ‘Soundtrack For a Quiet Place’ is extraordinarily hopeful. The songs are happy. Sounds used indicate a vast knowledge of the positive side of Post-Rock. Post-Rock as a genre can be somewhat tortured with its obsession with darkness. Here Elara moves more towards the airy textures of ‘Explosions in the Sky’. Yes it is inspirational. How it takes its time in evolving is greatly enjoyable. Aspects of it too employ the orchestral ‘giant’ sound of things ready to simply take off. Thankfully they also master the importance of letting things build up gradually rather than trying to rush things. Throughout this EP they often take that quieter, slower approach. 

                ‘Me and You Under the Aurora Borealis’ manages to surprise the listener. Beginning with a deliberate glitch it blooms into color. Eventually they temper this explosion down and get into the slow-moving gentleness that pervades the rest of the album. Here the drums are even relatively restrained. At the end of the track when they inevitability ‘go for it’ with a massive crescendo it feels justified. For ‘We are Infinite’ they take the reverse approach. Things start out extremely emotional. Piece by piece they dissect the song until it remains pure calm. ‘Seljalandsfoss’ the closer sounds positively giddy by the end. Upon the very end of the track they don’t stop either. Instead the gradual fade suggests they could go on with this for a prolonged period of time.

                ‘Soundtrack For a Quiet’ is a sweet tender EP.