ALL OF A SUDDEN I MISS EVERYONE - EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
It’s impossible to listen to Texan instrumental rock act Explosions in the Sky without paying notice to texture. As each quiet-loud-quiet song cycles through its emotional peaks and valleys, the band considerately adds, subtracts and multiplies conflicting elements and melodies to complete the picture. Even the song titles — “Catastrophe and the Cure,” “Welcome, Ghosts,” “The Birth and Death of the Day” — indicate a struggle of polar opposites. On this five-song set, “It’s Natural to Be Afraid” captures that back-and-forth best, not only in its girth (13 minutes) but in its perfect execution: The swirling guitars are at once rough and pretty, the percussion is pleading but soothing, the lyrical quality to each melody is grainy but accessible. Billboard
