Do Make Say Think
Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
Constellation
Of all the Constellation releases I’ve reviewed since I started writing for Ink 19, Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn is far and away my favorite. I haven’t had the pleasure of listening to any of DMST’s back catalogue, but I would willingly compare this album with Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Lift Yr. Skinny Fists… in that this is likely the sound of the band hitting its peak. DMST didn’t simply create a guitar-bass-drums post-rock album; they broadened their palette to include a judicious mix of horns and electronics. The result is a band that doesn’t try for the cinematic grandeur of Godspeed, but opts for the intimacy of well-worn snapshots.
The album’s nine tracks are divided into three “movements.” The first is the most bombastic of the bunch, rolling along on punchy guitar riffs and downtrodden drumbeats. Jazzy horns and a much lower key, much more fluid air take hold on the middle three tracks, giving rise to a decidedly more optimistic slant in the music. The final third completes the transition, acquiescing to pastoral electronics and ending with a huge binary smile on the finale “Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!” So, yes, if this is the way they do hymnals in the North Country, I need to get to a Canadian church quick!
Constellation Records: http://www.cstrecords.com/
