The bio claims that Chris Mason, on My Majestic Star’s second album, Too Late, The Day, is avoiding the ‘deliberatley wide-open vistas and apocalyptic atmospheres’ of most post-rock styled music, in favour of ‘intimacy and engagement’. He’s succeeded to some degree but, when he fails, it doesn’t really matter – this type of open wide vista is something I’m very happy to listen to.
Most impressive is when Mason really stretches out – on every single instrument. The epic ‘On Afternoons’ has the kind of instrumental interplay one would normally expect from a tight group, not from overdubs all played by a single person. There’s two separate drum tracks, one left and one right, to underpin the distorted guitar angelsong and slow moving melodicism. It’s 10 minutes are over too soon. ‘Defects In Sunsets’ introduces flute alongside the layers of both gentle and fully amped guitars and some tentative singing. The voice is much stronger in lead single ‘And Having A Reason Why’, echoing Chapterhouse or Revolver from the early 90s. The beatless ‘Meaning Less’ adds different shades to the mix, particularly with the addition of Miriam Braun’s cello – the only instrument on the album not played by Mason. The aforementioned intimacy is evident particularly on album closer ‘Forget Idaho’, with what sounds like just two guitars, before a final piano coda, a lighter reworking of the opening title track, closes the album.
There’s quite a resurgence of guitar based, atmospheric droning noise/beauty across the globe at the moment. My Majestic Star has produced one of the stronger examples I’ve heard so far across a consistent, layered and considered album.
Adrian Elmer
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