AWmusic

Also, as a side note to the review–TCBS are touring right now, and AWmusic will be attending the band’s show in Toronto at NEU+RAL tomorrow (Monday, September 7). Here’s a call out for all those who’d like to see the band live! It’s their only Canadian show this year (and their first time playing in Toronto), so hop on it! Each ticket is $5, and you also get to see Sleep for the Nightlife and Reverse Mount Rushmore. You can buy tickets at the venue.

Last November, our site reviewed TCBS’s debut album (you can read the review here). While I definitely enjoyed the album, I felt that the band would benefit from a more definitive sound. It seems that with Siegfried: An Original Score, TCBS has definitely done that. The compositions are sharper and brilliant, with a more consistent overall sound. Siegfried: An Original Score is one of the more refreshing albums I have heard in awhile.

But we really can’t review this album with out reviewing its connection to the film. It’s not unusual to see a post-rock band live with some sort of backdrop behind them, but Siegfried: An Original Score is different in that it was composed for the purpose of the film, rather than the other way around. It does what a soundtrack should do: it elicits the different meanings, emotions, and imagery throughout the film. As stated previously, I haven’t seen this film with its original score, so I can’t compare. I find it’s better that way though, so that the music can be interpreted in itself rather than servingas a comparison as to what covers the film better. The film centres around the Nibelungenlied myth, where the character Siegfried, who, upon hearing a story about the beautiful sister of the King of Burgundy, goes on an epic adventure to find and woo her. TCBS’s score meshes quite well with the film. The synchronization of the transitioning between scenes is well done, and if there were any moments of awkwardness, it is only because the film itself is produced with a few transitional flaws. The score invokes many different feelings, and does so quite superbly. For example, “The Wedding” is a more depressing tune in the beginning, fit for the scene when the queen of Iceland is to be wed to the King of Burgundy by force, but the track ends with a momentous intensity as Siegfried is also wed to the King’s sister. This is one of the many examples that TCBS is able to master the tone of the film, shaping it with their music.

The music itself is quite akin to the film itself in that it elicits a fantasy-like feeling. The tonality throughout the album is created mostly through the play of piano-driven melodies, ethereal synths, and lingered electric guitar notes. It is a soft reminder of Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, and Gregor Samsa. There is also one song that is adapted from a track from their self-titled debut, “The Rivers that Run Beneath this City.” The quality production of Siegfried: An Original Score is a few steps up from the debut, but there can’t be any real complaint as TCBS are totally self-sufficient. This is a very well-composed, well-produced album.

While Siegfried: An Original Score features more mainstream post-rock than not, it is still a fantastic album, and one of the more refreshing of the year. Being that the band is entirely self-sufficient, I have to commend them on such quality music. This is a definite must for all post-rock lovers. Make sure to check them out and their tour schedule to see if they’re playing near you. They really cannot be missed.

The Calm Blue Sea’s Fall ’09 Tour Schedule:
Sept 6 @ Paycheck’s Lounge/Hamtramck Festival – Detroit, Michigan – 9pm
Sept 7 @ NEU+RAL – Toronto, Ontario – 9pm
Sept 8 @ 123 Pleasant St. – Morgantown, West Virginia – 10pm
Sept 9 @ Brillobox – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – 9pm
Sept 10 @ Bernie’s – Columbus, Ohio – 9pm
Sept 11 @ Convenant Church – Cincinnati, Ohio – 8pm

MP3s:
The Calm Blue Sea – The Treasure
The Calm Blue Sea – The Cross

Tags: album