“When the world feels like a tempest, let the melody of home guide you back to tranquility.” This text on a Bandcamp profile page introduces you to the new album, “Home,” released independently on October 25th, 2024, via Polish post-rock quintet YENISEI. I accidentally came across their music on Spotify the other day and was completely blown away by it. Although my delicate earbuds are somewhat naturally wired for this particular aesthetic, I must admit that way too often my random Spotify findings in this genre do not make much of an impression – 10-plus minutes of modal doodling drenched in larger-than-life reverb does not exactly count as a poignant tour de force of musical talent in my books. This Krakow-based bunch proved to be something else right off the bat. Recalling their fellow countrymen LEBOWSKI and the ambient endeavors of both LUNATIC SOUL and RIVERSIDE, these cinematic post-rockers know how to write soaring, highly evocative melodies to balance the inward pull of gravity created by the ambient, widescreen soundscapes in the songs. The strong sense of melodicism is the glue that binds the songs together into a magnificent whole.
The album opens with “A Walk in the Sky” – a song that instantly triggers subtle GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT flashbacks. Then again, I later learned that these scenic painters aren’t hiding their love for that Irish post-rock monolith. I guess the impression stems from how the ambient synths and strong guitar melodies complement each other. I also read that this track was written for the band’s sophomore album “Reflections” (2021) but didn’t make the cut. So, if the band can afford to scrap songs of this caliber for the sake of coherent album flow – or for whatever reason the song was left out – we’re talking about some class-A post-rock outfit right here! I guess I simply have to check out their previous works, too.
To paraphrase the band’s dissection of the song, “Crickets” is a shoegazey romance between DEFTONES and SLOWDIVE. I couldn’t have said it better myself – it is easy to imagine how well Chico Moreno‘s anguished wailing would fit the song despite its rather mellow atmosphere. The chill-out section in the middle just as easily conjures up mental images of cool summer nights with only the crickets providing some background noise in the twilight; I guess the song title attempts to suggest something to this effect, hence there are the sampled crickets chirping in the song’s intro.
“This Place Was A Shelter” gears up on robust TANGERINE DREAM and PINK FLOYD vibes. According to mathematicians, there are different types of infinity; yet, I reckon none of them has regarded music to be one. This is one of those songs to bring up as evidence if you ever need to discuss this topic. The song is about 6 minutes but it feels like forever – and in a good way. Being such a synth-driven epic, this song nicely elbows out from the somewhat narrow post-rock paradigm. I read that the band regards the Swedish sludge-lords, CULT OF LUNA, as inspiration for this song, and, while the degree of dark and dirty heaviness might not exactly be on level with those sludgey Swedes, the slow-crushing melancholy sure feels familiar.
Next, “We Are Saved” is yet another high-profile post-rock manifesto, this time resonating with the riff-laden air of LONG DISTANCE CALLING. This song is the most high-octane offering on the album, in terms of riffs, and it shows just how versatile YENISEI can be in their instrumental craft. Speaking of which, the album is inherently instrumental as per the conventions of the genre. However, “Insecure” features vocals by Maciej Kowalski of another Krakow-based band, the art-rock outfit, WAVs. On occasion, his breathy vocals are subtly reminiscent of Tim Bowness, and in the chorus, his dynamic range shines through in its full splendor. In passing, the part with the layered vocals recalls the haunting track, “Someone (Like You),” from VERTIGO STEPS‘ 2012 album “Surface/Light.” This is just to say that these post-rock ruffians aren’t afraid of throwing in something from outside the box when the song calls for it.
Last, but not least, “Forgotten” makes sure that you can feel every hair on your body tingle, separately and distinctly. This is the very song that pricked my ears when I accidentally stumbled upon it on Spotify. It is simply the perfect closure for this highly enjoyable sonic journey. The vocoder vocals sound particularly haunting in this context. I feel tempted to say that these young blades are truly of exceptional musical aptitude. It’s one thing to fill an album with mindless fretboard exercises in vanity and another ball game entirely to journey through time and space like these Polish post-rock sages just did. Needless to say, this album goes straight to my Album of the Year list.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- A Walk in the Sky
- Crickets
- This Place Was A Shelter
- We Are Saved
- Insecure
- Forgotten
Lineup
Grzegorz Cisek – bass
Michal Gawronski – drums
Piotr Grobelny – guitars
Piotr Klaminski – guitars
Rafal Piniaz – keyboards, synths
Label
Independent
