Lymbyc Systym
Shutter Release
Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Label: Mush
It's been a busy 2009 for Lymbyc Systym. In between a national summer tour, a September tour with the Books and their immaculate contribution to last winter's split EP release, Field Studies, brothers Jared and Michael Bell concocted yet another sugar-coated dose of Nintendo-tinged instrumental rock. As usual, the abundant synths steal the spotlight, though that should be good news for fans. Not many artists can seamlessly and effectively fuse a pristine electronic shell onto a rock act. Jared Bell's array of keyboard simulations coax some of the most beautiful melodies post-rock has seen, but what signify the duo's sound are Michael Bell's driving drumbeats, with no energy being spared on Shutter Release.
The production here is more indebted to the band's organic-sounding roots, as heard on Carved By Glaciers and Love Your Abuser, drawing equally from the subtly disparate sounds of these releases. "Interiors" and "Kubrick" convey the mellow, downtempo angle Carved By Glaciers reveled in, with more minimalist arrangements. The opening songs "Trichromatic" and "Ghost Clock" may make fans think they'd accidentally popped in Love Your Abuser by accident; the various layers of keyboards, Rhodes, electric guitars and synth-horns are pleasantly familiar.
Rather surprisingly, the duo doesn't try to capitalize in on the sound of the three songs they completed for Field Studies. "Processed Spirits," "Notations" and "Narita" offered immediate climactic chord progressions that lingered in perpetual ecstasy, an approach that contrasted with the duo's more traditional, gradual climaxing found on songs like Abuser's "Astrology Days" and "Idle Wires." By the fourth track, this signature rising tension blatantly establishes itself as Shutter Release's prime format of choice. A vast majority of the songs take their time easing the listener into the melody and instrumentations. Then, starting with abrupt (though smooth) bridges, the Bell Brothers assault us with blissful and explosive outros during the final minute. Each rhapsody is a three-act experience, leaving us satisfied and elated upon the final notes. Although an engaging format, it does become repetitive and predictable, two qualities Glaciers and Abuser don't have.
What Shutter Release doesn't bear in variety it makes up in melody, energy and textural innovation. Those unfamiliar with Lymbyc Systym will find these 42 minutes a perfect starting point. Shutter Release is a thesis of their music, a hybrid of the sound they've been honing. Though not their swan song or their masterpiece, it's a reminder of the great things of what's to come. The Bells are on to something great, and are equally content riding the wave of their craft. It's going to be a tough wait until their next release but Shutter Release will prove to be a satisfying fix in the meantime.
by Jory Spadea
