This is a very lovely record in many ways, although I can't remember whether I'd actually listened to Explosions in the Sky before I bought it. I knew their name because they had been touring the US with The Paper Chase and Eluvium and I imagine I'd read a few words on what they sounded like at some point. I've got a feeling that I might have watched a YouTube video at some point too, but my memory fails me. Anyway, I decided to chance £14 on it and I haven't looked back.
I picked this album up in Spillers (on my first ever trip to Cardiff) not long after it came out. I'd seen it in a record shop in Germany a few weeks earlier and nearly bought it then but decided to save my euros. The limited edition coloured vinyl and bonus cd probably helped convince me; it's a stunning package, and the etching on side 4 is a great touch (have a look at the very last picture beneath).
Of course once I put needle to vinyl I realised how lovely it really was. Explosions are now one of my favourite instrumental bands. There's something really gentle about the way the songs build up and explode and the guitars sound excellent (at times their name seems brilliantly appropriate). After buying this one I went on to pick up the rest of their back-catalogue (mostly on cd) and I love them all. I probably don't play this one enough though. It's Natural to be Afraid is 14 minutes well-spent, and Catastrophe and Cure is brilliant too. The remixes also work really well (post-rock lends itself to remixes much better than any other -rock genre) and, incidently, was the first time I'd heard of Jesu and Adem both of whom are artists I've become a fan of since. Jesu's version of The Birth and Death of the Day is particularly dark.
I've seen Explosions play live a bunch of times in the five years since I bought All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone and each time they've been fantastic to watch and left me with a huge smile of my face. They also deserve particular mention (especially after this weekend just gone) for being the band that curated the first All Tomorrow's Parties festival I ever went to. I'm not sure I would've known about the festival had I not seen that Explosions had picked The Paper Chase, and I certainly would've missed out on some of the great ATP weekends I've been to since. ATP has given so many great bands it's hard to know where to start! All in all, this record is a pretty special one, and not just musically.
Format: double 12", gatefold sleeve, picture sleeves, bonus cd
Tracks: 12
Cost: £14 new
Bought: Spillers
When: 14/04/07
Colour: One white, one dark blue
Etching: Laser etching of cover on side 4
mp3s: no
