EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY | PRINCE AVALANCHE [REVIEW]

Being Texan natives, Explosions In The Sky often sound like they're writing a love letter to the vastness of their state's landscape. That wandering, raw, unpolished quality, and the fact they have no words in their songs, makes their music easily translatable to a film score. Written as a soundtrack to a film of the same name, Prince Avalanche has more complex arrangements than earlier EITS. It also feels a little mellower though, which will probably be a let down for fans of the group. It lacks the flourishes of strings and the booming drum arrangements of their earlier work. I guess you could say that Prince Avalanche feels more "sky" than "explosions." However, from what I understand about the film, the mellower aspect here is probably appropriate. Also, Explosions In The Sky are about as post-rock as a band can get, and the genre is defined by meandering-ness, so that's not really a criticism. As a standalone work, the Prince Avalanche soundtrack is good, but it’s not fair to measure it until it's been paired with the images and the story it was designed to help navigate. The success here will be determined if when paired with the film, the music comes to life in a different way, and reveals a hidden pathos. The potential is certainly there.