Ester Drang has a sound all its own. Walls of atmosphere accentuate a lush organic musical landscape. The music is complex in its arrangement, yet the listener can also take a step back and appreciate the full beauty of all the instrumentation combined. The foundation is laid with guitar, bass, and drums, but piano and synthesizers are also essential to the thick atmosphere.
The music is strong in its ability to escape the verse-chorus rut. Sure, the songs have choruses, but they blend so seamlessly with the verses that there is not a dry moment musically or lyrically.
The vocals blend with the music in a way that doesn't draw too much attention, but can also be distinguished when needed. When the listener is searching for the lyrical meaning of the songs, there is depth to be found. "Temple Mount" begins the album with a firm foundation: "You're missing the point of all I've given and missing out on life worth living. I can't be shaken. I'm still standing in this strong wind." In one of the most beautiful songs on the CD "If They Only Knew", vocalist Bryce Chambers sings, "In time you will walk the line. If they only knew, they'd come through. If they chose to know you they'd be free and see it's time to go."
What Ester Drang has done with Infinite Keys is fuse together all the elements of a good album in a way that makes it great. In other words, Infinite Keys makes for a great soundtrack for life.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis May 2003Reviewed by Brett Miotti"Infinite Keys" is the first release for the Oklahoma based Ester Drang on Jade Tree Records. Prior to working with Jade Tree the band released a full-length (Goldenwest) with Philly based label Burnt Toast Vinyl. The band is currently on tour with labelmates Pedro the Lion. It's about time this band have gotten some more attention in the indie rock world. A friend had recommended that I check…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Matt ModrichEster Drang is a four-piece band out of Oklahoma. Infinite Keys is its first record on Jadetree Records. Ester Drang appeals strongly to fans of atmospheric rock bands like Radiohead. With falsetto vocals and plenty of keyboard, they lure listeners into another world of existence. Infinite Keys is probably the best Ester Drang release to date. "Oceans of You," "One Hundred Times," "The Greatest…Opus 2003Reviewed by Jason MoreheadEster Drang's previous album, Goldenwest, began with a glorious cascade of glassy piano notes and shimmering drones. Sounding like the perfect blend of Steve Reich and Spiritualized, it easily set the mood for an album that delivered one sonic bliss after another. Compare that with the opening minutes of Infinite Keys, with its alien squall of metallic feedback and harrowing strings, and the…Similar sounding releases
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