Record Label: File 13
Genre: Instrumental Post Rock
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Finally. I get sent an album of a band I’ve never heard before and it fucking floors me with awesomeness. And in the most unlikely way. Sterling are a Chicago-based instrumental four-piece who do the whole instrumental post-rock thing. Now I’m not really sure what post-rock is, but these guys have a sound similar to Mogwai, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, and Explosions In The Sky. What I like about this particular disc is that it features three tracks over about 35 minutes, and with every few bars, there is some sort of change or buildup. The musicianship is tight, and the drummer is about as solid and consistent as you could ever hope for. Unlike Mogwai and Explosions, these guys add in a keyboard/piano player, and I think it really adds to the mix. The guitarist doesn’t depend on distortion, and uses a nice clean tone to compliment the bass and keyboard lines.

If you’ve been keeping track of my reviews on this site, you’ll know that I’ve only given one album a proper five star rating, that being the Hold Steady’s newest. I feel that the five star rating applies particularly to how an album compares in its genre, and as well on a grander scale. While Sterling aren’t going to be played on the radio anytime soon, they have the ability to gain fans in both the indie rock and avant-garde world. I would love to see these guys do soundtrack work; I can only imagine their sound added to an indie thriller or art flick.

It’s rare that I have the time or desire to re-listen to albums I get as promos, but since getting this one, I’ve given it three good listens. Being relatively short, it doesn’t feel like a task to get through it, and with the constant change-ups in tempo, tone, and instrumentation, the album keeps consistent. My favourite track of the three is the second, Acacia, which starts soft, builds for a while, only to pause for some ambient drones. Eventually drums begin to build, with rolling toms that sound like they might build into some classic metal. But Sterling seem unwilling to just get loud for the sake of it; they maintain a haunting and riveting texture that keeps you listening to the end of the track.

It is probably pretty difficult to gain legions of fans doing the whole instrumental rock thing, but if there’s any chance of Sterling lasting, this album is their ultimate statement. I can safely say that it’s one of the better albums of the genre, and they can be categorized alongside Do Make Say Think (my personal favourite), Tortoise, Explosions In The Sky, etc. Even if you’re unfamiliar with this genre, Sterling’s Cursed would be a great place to start. While it’s far different than most of what’s out there, it’s an early contender for one of the best of the year.

Bottom Line: About as good as the instrumental rock gets. Diverse, tight, and haunting.
Notable Tracks: Acacia, Eyes
Overall Rating: