This Will Destroy You

during a ski trip a couple of months ago, a cousin of mine, a fan of the Good Music, introduced me to a band he claimed to like better than Explosions in the Sky. now...those are some pretty strong words as far as i am concerned. my feelings for EITS are fairly well-documented, and i guess that i took it as a bit of a challenge. well, i changed my tune after giving them a proper listen and now see his point. not that i would say they are necessarily any better than Explosions, and i can see where he's coming from.

This Will Destroy You is, for me, one of those rare and wonderful occasions where you sit down to listen to a new band only to find that, at least to some way, you've known them all along. it isn't that their music is formulaic or predictable, but that it is strangely familiar. a moment of deja vu hit me while listening to the San Marcos quartet's debut EP, Young Mountain. the album starts off strong with a patient and glacial piece entitled "Quiet" segueing directly into "The World Is Our ___". with this track, i find myself thinking that maybe i had heard a similar tune in my head at some point, but the thought passes as the track unfolds into a triumphant and soaring expanse, then, turns away to a reflective, logical progression of the opening melody.

what do they sound like? Jesu comes to mind with all of the deep, lush guitar sounds, but the band will likely draw the most comparisons from, yes, Explosions in the Sky. the biggest difference between the two bands lies chiefly in their differing styles. being a pair of instrumental bands from Texas who are both known for their lengthy and powerfully evocative soft/loud compositions, i can see how TWDY might be written off as a johnny-come-lately, but there is a key difference in style that separates and distinguishes these two bands. for my ears, EITS generally weave tapestries of intricate melodic lines that shift and overlap in a rather linear, story-telling manner. TWDY on the other hand, seem to me to be a bit more abstract. a pattern i have noticed in their compositions is how they take a melodic line, deconstruct it into it's basic chords, and shred it apart. there is something beautiful, almost hypnotic, about the way they present and destroy their songs; for a few seconds, i can just lose myself in it, like watching Matisse deconstruct a statue of a panther with his bare hands.

on the strength of the EP alone, i am convinced this is one of those bands i need to see live, and from the live clips of them that are out there, they appear to put on a good show. i have been cranking these tunes at work and at home over the past couple of months, but i still get the feeling that it would be even better live. regrettably, i missed an opportunity to see them a couple of weeks ago in fort worth and again last sunday at the House on Swiss just a few blocks away. i certainly hope they find their way back to the metroplex later this year.

they recently released their self-titled LP. it appears to be generating some buzz, and after a few SXSW appearances, they embark on a european tour. hit up their myspace page for a few examples of their work. "Burial on the Presidio Banks" is particularly interesting, like standing on the beach, watching a tidal wave approach, and then being crushed by it.