Shoegazers in space. Ester Drang follow the lead of My Bloody Valentine and early Starflyer 59 with their slow-tempo swirling distortion and soft vocals, but this is further out there. It's at the edge of the galaxy. Picture yourself all alone in a deserted, dilapidated space station, with some faraway pretty pop music drifting through the zero-gravity solitude. Except the frequent feedback, distorted drum breaks, and occasional electronic beeps make it sound like a bad frequency with too much treble and interference from other signals. Song titles like "One Hundred Seventeen Days Adrift" further accent the whole lost in space vibe.
There's something artistic, serious, and potentially important about it all, but That Is When He Turns Us Golden is not going to do it for most people. Despite the consistent drum beats, it's all too loose. There's not enough substance of song to hold onto, and the tracks are mostly way too short. It would make for hip background noise for the indie-rocker if it was only longer, but small chance of that now. No lyric sheet either--an annoying habit of bands like this, who want to sound like they have something to say but find some pleasure in hiding it from us. Still, you can make out lines like "Your love's all I need," "You're with me always," and "I know I'll make it through with you," which point to a definite and hopeful dependence that the Creator will rescue them from their aimless drifting among the stars. Let's hope he provides them with a spiffy new spaceship full of real songs they can share next time.
2 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Opus 2001Reviewed by Nolan ShigleyMy "flying through space" screensaver pops on as I sit in front of the computer while listening to Ester Drang and I think "How fitting." I can imagine myself reclined in a chair and listening to this album as I float among the stars and planets while at the controls of a grand rocketship. I guess visiting your local planetarium with a set of headphones could accomplish the same effect (at a much…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Joe RockstrohThe chaos of a Training for Utopia only with a mellow SF59 "we're more indie then indie" vibe, Ester Drang digs into noise and chaotic distortion with their low tempo guitars, drums and Jason Martin influenced vocals. Swirling loosely connected strands of music intertwine with walls of slightly melodic noise and singing to make an EP that borders on complete "indie music" yet also manages to…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Justin W. JonesHave you ever seen those music comparison charts at your local Christian bookstore? Have you ever bought an album thinking it would be similar to the band it was suggesting? I saw one that compared Wu-Tang Clan to KIIS. That's like comparing GG Allin to Burt Bacharach. Those charts have no merit. Many people have been amused by their comparisons, therefore they should update it and put a new…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Josh MarihughAny band that tries to follow in the footsteps of Jason Martin, the genius behind Starflyer 59, has to be admired. But a band that not only follows, but follows well, is truly to be respected. Ester Drang is that band, as festival-goers at Cornerstone and Tomfest found out. While following one unfortunate trend, the short CD, Ester Drang manages to pack quite a disc into this 23 minutes. The lack…
