In a way, the surprise release of a new album by Godspeed You! Black Emperor should not have come as a shock at all. Any fan of the legendary Canadian ‘post-rock’ master craftsmen should know that, for this band, a reunion necessitates the release of new material. Of course, detractors will argue, the bulk of 'Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!' is not actually new at all. The two lengthy tracks on this record, 'Mladic' and 'We Drift like Worried Fire', are actually cuts the band initially wrote before their disbandment nine years ago, but the strength of their appearances here alone arguably makes the band’s reunion worthwhile.
However, there is more to 'Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!' than being an obligatory comeback album. In many ways it remains true to the formula the band first conjured up back in the mid-nineties, but at the same time there are elements of itchy creativity here that suggest Godspeed are not content to rest on their laurels. Whilst 'Mladic' and 'We Drift like Worried Fire' are much like Godspeed as they were on 2002’s 'Yanqui U. X. O.', the other two tracks on 'Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!' see the group take on a more ruthlessly minimalist approach than ever before. Indeed, whilst this is a band that will always be known most widely for their multi-coloured epics, half of this album is drawn from a decidedly narrower palate.
At around six and a half minutes each, 'Their Helicopters Sing' and 'Strung like Lights at Thee Printemps Enable' are effectively ambient drone compositions but still showcase brilliantly Godspeed’s unerring ability to create dense and affecting atmospheres. The former is darker and more reflective, coming as the perfect antidote to the inherent currents of gloom that underpin 'Mladic'. The latter, meanwhile, is merely a lush ambient soundscape, largely lacking in recognisable instrumentation, but acting as the calm after the furious climatic storm that is 'We Drift like Worried Fire'.
Predictably this record fails to top the utter genius of the band’s debut, 'F#A#∞' all those years ago, but it is more than a worthy addition to the discography of a band that has consistently maintained standards higher than most bands would even dare to dream of. In many ways coming back was a risk, Godspeed could have tarnished their own legacy. On the basis of 'Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!', however, it looks as if Godspeed You! Black Emperor are still completely unbeatable.
'Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!' is available now. Godspeed You! Black Emperor perform at London's HMV Forum next month.
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However, there is more to 'Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!' than being an obligatory comeback album. In many ways it remains true to the formula the band first conjured up back in the mid-nineties, but at the same time there are elements of itchy creativity here that suggest Godspeed are not content to rest on their laurels. Whilst 'Mladic' and 'We Drift like Worried Fire' are much like Godspeed as they were on 2002’s 'Yanqui U. X. O.', the other two tracks on 'Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!' see the group take on a more ruthlessly minimalist approach than ever before. Indeed, whilst this is a band that will always be known most widely for their multi-coloured epics, half of this album is drawn from a decidedly narrower palate.
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