Falling for Post-Rock at Brighton Music Hall

Album Leaf 1
The only illumination for The Album Leaf were sticks of LEDs. | Photo by Ashley Hansberry.

I have the feeling that being a post-rock band is a lot like being a high-schooler: there’s a desperate need to differentiate and form a unique identity, all while still holding onto oneself. The post-rock genre is small. It’s dominated by heavy hitters like Tortoise, Godspeed You! Black EmperorMogwai and Explosions in the Sky, making even talented and rising post-rock bands sound like cheap rip-offs once they reach out beyond their hometown fan base. It seems as though what it takes to really break through in the genre is a distinctly original sonic identity (the limits of the post-rock genre are pretty vague).

Movus
Movus playing at Brighton Music Hall on Tuesday night. | Photo by Ashley Hansberry

Tuesday night’s concert at the Brighton Music Hall brought this issue to the forefront with three very different groups who all played to different moods and tastes. The show was headlined by The Album Leaf, the solo project of former Tristeza member Jimmy LaValle; Sister Crayon, a four-piece newcomer signed to Manimal Vinyl; and Movus, a Mexican five-piece post-rock group.

Movus opened and, unfortunately, did not do a great job. For most of their set, Movus sounded like an Explosions in the Sky cover-band, slowly building walls of sound occasionally interrupted by brooding guitar chords. There’s only so many moody guitar solos a guy can take. Their best moments were when all three guitarists brought their instruments together in chorus, but these moments were short-lived. Overall, Movus sounded like the watery vanilla ice cream served by the Warren Towers Dining Hall.

Sister Crayon
Sister Crayon insisted on playing in the dark. Spooooky. | Photo by Ashley Hansberry

I had only heard Sister Crayon referred to in passing, so I was caught off guard by the excellent quality of their set. Windswept textures were mixed with reversed melodies and frontwoman Terra Lopez’s layered, tormented vocals to build an atmosphere that could spook listeners right out of their socks–a perfect atmosphere for October. And just when it began to sound too much like music for ghouls, Sister Crayon displayed their range with a string of warmer songs, yet Lopez’s vocals still provided the anchor of their spirit, reminiscent of great woman-fronted groups like Metric or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The Album Leaf’s sound is a bit harder to pinpoint. TAL played a great set; there was a mix of songs from throughout his discography (along with a few new tracks, like this fundraising track for Japanese earthquake relief), and he ended the night by playing a track off Nevermind alongside Terra Lopez. Great job, Jimmy!

But back to The Album Leaf’s sound: it’s obvious that LaValle has put time into his craft, creating a unique aesthetic that seems to capture the annual moodswing autumn brings. There’s enough tranquility and warmth in his arrangements to be immediately comforting (listen to In a Safe Place once Boston’s leaves start to fall), yet there are undercurrents of melancholy in his work that add to it a sense of foreboding, a sense that an unescapable, hard winter is just around the corner (a theme addressed lyrically in “Falling from the Sun“).

LaValle‘s singing became more prominent on his most recent albums, a change which has put off much of his original base who prefer meandering guitar tracks. But, this is another step in the formation of his musical identity, and it’s this unique identity that gains both The Album Leaf and Sister Crayon recognition and endearment within post-rock.

Album Leaf 2
Who knew Boston had more than 3 post-rock fans? | Photo by Ashley Hansberry

About Allan Lasser

Allan Lasser is a CAS senior double majoring in Computer Science and American Studies. He publishes The Quad, but that doesn't mean you can send him angry/solicitous emails.

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