Pelican is a band that’s been on people’s minds for a while now. Australasia and The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw have both been hugely lauded and the band has become something of a favourite in the whole post-rock/metal genre. Now I don’t really like those first two albums too much. Too long and too often meandering, Pelican was a band that had some good ideas but not a lot of good songs.

City Of Echoes, the bands third album is a bit of a departure. Firstly, the songs are a bit shorter, the music is a bit softer and the songs are catchy as hell. Now I know you’re probably thinking that this whole “post” thing doesn’t lend itself to catchiness and that’s a fair comment but Pelican have expanded their sound on this album and are no longer restricted to a particular genre. This is vibrant melodic instrumental rock music with melodies that stick in your head long after the album’s played out.

Another thing that differentiates City Of Echoes from the rest of the instrumental post rock/metal bands is the bands ability to write music that is uplifting. You want to listen to this album again and again because the songs have that whole positive vibe going. Also, the songs stick to the point. Something like Spaceship Broken – Parts Needed works because of the awesome melody and groove. Awesome grooves are aplenty on this album though. The opening brace of Bliss in Concrete and City Of Echoes works superbly and lets you know straight away that this is a band that has been trimmed of all unwanted fat. Far From Fields is another terrific song with a slight 70 prog rock feel to it. Although considering that I’m not a huge 70s prog fan I could be way off base here.

City Of Echoes is the sound of a band that has progressed over the course of their last few recordings to a point where the music is now a refinement of everything the band has done in the past with a couple of new twists and turns into prog rock and pop sensibilities. In the process the band may have left behind a few fans as well but at the end of the day City Of Echoes is far superior to anything the band has done previously and is pretty much the perfect instrumental rock album.



Label - Hydrahead
Year Of Release - 2007