Melodic Epic
...And Stars Collide bring epic post-rock soundscapes but without any of the stodgy over earnestness of some. Their debut self-financed EP is a gem; a refreshing yet spine tingling set of instrumental songs running to almost thirty minutes but feeling much shorter. The band’s sound is fresh and clear, without too much of the distorted fuzz that often accompanies this kind of intense post-rock and can lead to a mushy roar of noise in the wrong hands. Instead tracks like brilliant opener ‘Every Step Takes Me Further From Home (Part II)’ (which is guaranteed to have you nodding your head along vigorously within 5 seconds) and ‘Your Winter and Night Spent In Disguise’ have delicate guitars and lovely melodies, each instrument solid and cleanly defined and when the track builds to the climax it manages not to feel inevitable, even though you know it’s coming. That freshness is found bristling throughout the whole EP and makes it invigorating, and exciting. Easily one of the best post-rock records in a long, long time regardless of whether it’s a debut or not, never has half an hour passed so quickly.