April Rain / Undertone (2023)
April Rain, a "social phobia-ish" Russian Post-Rock band that rarely appears in public, has occupied a seat of Post-Rock world's Hall of Fame for a long time due to its exquisite expertise in traditional instrumental rock style and the long-lasting resonance its music has aroused among fans. This year, the band released a new album "Undertone" in an almost secretive and silent manner.
The eight songs of "Undertone" form a 54-minute undulating sea of instrumental music. Generally speaking, each song follows a gradual pattern of Post-Rock that is from shallow to deep, and from calm to intense, starting from the singularity of a gentle note, slowly transitioning into a lingering melody, advancing layer by layer, and reaching the final storm that washes the soul. Based on such arrangement structure, the interpretation of instrumental music is flexible and smooth. Different texture lines and various meaningful segments are skillfully exchanged, overlapped, and evolved together, endowing each song with rich colors and profound concepts, and allowing the continuous emotions and deep consciousness to flow throughout the entire album.
Perhaps music is like a planum, but the truly three-dimensional part is the connection and collision between the sound and the listener's consciousness, moods and emotions. A gentle and melancholic dream that touches memories, a bright light that penetrates the darkness to comfort wounds, a contemplation that wanders over pain and introspection, a will that marches through darkness and storm, these images and perceptions rooted in "Undertone" are everywhere in the sound, in one's heart, and in the connection between the two. The listener was comforted and beaten time and time again, swimming repeatedly in this sea of pain and brilliance.
At this moment, the online sales for Digipak CD and Tri-color striped Vinyl of "Undertone" have officially started. For those who like Post-Rock, encountering a beloved new album is like encountering a new meaning at a certain point in life, so unexpected and precious.
Limited edition of 400 each
