Instrumental music is rare in today’s lyrically driven music world, but Explosions in the Sky has figured out how to tell stories without words. With Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, the four-piece instrumental rock band from Texas delivers its signature sound with a few new elements.
It’s easy to forget there are no words because of the musical techniques the band employs to layer sounds and emotions. Explosions in the Sky uses dynamics to its advantage and has perfected the build-up. The songs generally begin softly, slowly adding more sound until they really do sonically explode before dropping off into near silence. The best example of this technique on Take Care is “Postcard from 1952,” where you can almost feel the anticipation leading up to the climax of the song.
Emotion is present in every note of this album, and these emotions are amplified by a new element to Explosions in the Sky’s usual repertoire. “Trembling Hands” starts with “ohs” that carry throughout the song, adding to the track’s high-energy feel. “Let me Back In” also uses vocal elements, but in a much different way. The song starts and ends with creepy, wordless voices that seem to be trying to communicate something, but no one can understand them.
The almost ghost-like quality of these voices is made even stranger with the effect-laden guitars and sometimes-sparse instrumentals. This is the most unique song on the album and adds a completely different dynamic to the overall feel of Take Care, Take Care, Take Care.
There is a rollercoaster of emotions, sounds and themes on this album, which allows each of the six tracks to stand on their own. However, with an average of eight minutes per song, they can drag on. They flow from one to the next, so it can be hard to keep track of which song is playing.
This is not necessarily a negative thing, but differentiation is important when a song doesn’t have words, and it is almost impossible to pick out a song by name on this album. There isn’t really a “stand-out” track.
Despite the lengthy songs, the band takes listeners on a musical journey. There is a clear progression of sound from one song to the next, and it is easy to imagine someone preparing to leave, saying goodbye, leaving and then desperately wanting to return.
The guitars truly sing. There are clear melodies and harmonies and a raw, free form quality to the music that adds personality. A more melancholy sound with hauntingly beautiful guitars, “Be Comfortable, Creature” shows the scope of emotions the band portrays with one song and is the epitome of this album.
Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is a cohesive, expertly crafted album of notes that have been compiled into a scrapbook of sound. Explosions in the Sky has figured out how to layer and piece together sounds so they convey emotions and stories without relying on traditional lyric convention. While trying out vocal elements that stray away from the band’s usual sound, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care delivers the inventiveness and consistency Explosions in the Sky is known for.
4 out of 5 stars
