There is no halfway in with Shellac. They are not going to be for everyone.
With the loss of Steve Albini, there are many people looking to this album with sadness, knowing it will be the last new album. Maybe one day we can separate our grief from it. Only time will tell. This album is a monster.
To All Trains by Shellac should be and will be celebrated by those who find happiness and wonder in the sound this band have crafted and delivered over the years. There are many masterful moments packed into these songs. So many that I debated a lengthy track by track break down. Something I never do so you’ll have to find your own way through this one, like usual.
When we lose someone we admire, friend, family or someone we have watched from afar with respect, it stings a bit more when you can not let them know how much we appreciate who they were and the many small things that meant so much to us.
To the family, friends, bandmates and anyone who knew Steve personally, I send you my sincere condolences.
With the loss of someone so connected to our music community, some might suggest there is a leniency given to the album reviews. I have not seen that yet because the proof is in the album. Shellac delivers an impressive attack with their signature tone. The album flow and writing is well thought out, intelligent and packed with twists and turns that, as a listener, I did not expect.
There are dramatic moments here that may seem strange, but the creativity and tightness of the band is absolutely unmatched. That is one of the truly beautiful things about Shellac. Many things occur within that others might attempt to recreate and would sound utterly out of sync and unfocused. They are the exact opposite.
When someone makes it sound so simple where others would fumble, there is a true art in that madness. A skill level achieved above our perspective. They may be one of the best who can deliver this sound in this way. To my knowledge they were the one and only with their unique tone through all of the years the were active. And that is a testament to their ability to captivate and stay on a level that cannot be duplicated or replicated.
~ Bobby / Monuments in Ruin
https://shellac.bandcamp.com/album/to-all-trains
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