How strange to hear an album with such magnitude and at the same time, such a sense of patience. I honestly believe that at this point it's really strange to listen to a post-rock album and get surprised when there is a huge, epic section.. The Quiet Lamb is so reserved and yielded in the way it plays out; So when "Candor and River" gets real fucking dangerous, it's shocking. The record up to this point is almost like a novel; it's unique dynamic allowing time and space to take over as it lazily interweaves beautiful storytelling. There is an sense of a morose, inescapable, landscape that is washed over the tone of each of the songs; and while it's strange to relate an album to a color, I will say that The Quiet Lamb makes me think of a bleak gray or pale white. While the record may harness the premise of doom, that's not to say that the record is without beauty, far from it. Stunning violins, banjos, pianos layer over tracks like "Giant Moss" and "Long Grass." It's softer, more striped down and traditional folk tracks like "Homecoming" are flawless and gorgeous. Throughout, the vocal element is used sparingly and to perfection; oftentimes, simply another texture. The singing is so ominous and beautiful, that it's almost a shame there isn't more of it. When playing it in the office, someone curiously asked if i was listening to "Ave Maria." While completely off base in his assumption, the beauty in The Quiet Lamb is evident in his query; vocally speaking, the album is nothing short of a classic composition. However, when it comes down to it The Quiet Lamb is more of a folk record than anything, but it pulls off so much more than a traditional release in that genre. The record is sprawling and inquisitive, it's so haunting and delicate, all the while maintaining it's folk roots. It's worldly vibe brings to mind a world uninhabited by humans, a world where nature is plentiful and once again, the true and rightful ruler of the earth. It's in this that the record is a true folk album at heart, an album laced with reverence for the planet. If more post-rock bands put as much love and innovation into their records, the genre wouldn't get the bad rep it's sometimes dealt. Her Name is Calla have created a record so far from all the Godspeed You Mogwais in the Sky bands and is nothing short of a masterpiece. The Quiet Lamb is undoubtedly this years best release in the genre, and should be seen as a staple and a lesson to all post-rock musicians, that you don't have to be huge to be huge.
-YtWt
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