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Album Details

• Artist: Shipping News
• Album: Flies the Fields
• Label: Quarterstick
• Year of Release: 2005
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-04-18

Shipping News is back with a new full-length album called Flies The Fields. This follows up their EP collection (three previously released EPs) Three-Four which was released in 2003. Besides that, it's been a few years since a proper full-length album from this post-rock supergroup of sorts. One has to ask the question, is post-rock still relevant seeing that we have moved past post-rock (post-rock aftermath)? Well, fact of the matter is it doesn't show any signs of disappearing. Post-rock is the new punk. Let's get the the music on Flies The Fields. This album marks the threesome becoming four, Todd Cock of The For Carnation and Parlour has jumped into the Shipping News folds. Bob Weston took over recording duties and has helped to craft a nice post-rock album. There is nothing outstanding on Flies but the music and production does shine as a decent release. Flies isn't as angular as some math rock has been in the past. Instead the group decides to almost float songs into your consciousness. For instance on the album closer "Paper Lanterns (Zero Return)" the song basically ebbs and flows with peaks and valleys. The song pretty much sums up the rest of the album in about 8 minutes. "Axons and Dendrites" is the intro song and it is a 5 minute instrumental, except for the odd spoken word section about half-way through. While the verdict is still out on this music's relevance today, the fact is that these guys are still great musicians and create somewhat interesting music. The Shipping News has created another above average album and that's something to be said.

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