As much as the phrase “instrumental post-rock band” has been worn down to basic nothingness over time given the number of acts it’s applied to, it continues to feel like a necessary evil. After all, the branches of post-rock that actually gain some traction (all relative, of course) feel specifically designed to fall into that category, and while the illusion of a fairly wide umbrella to fall under is there, the results typically devolve to either widescreen, glacial soundscapes or a slightly darker, stormier variation on the same theme. It’s not like Crevassian are muscling their way into the scene to change that either, with listed influences like Cloudkicker and This Will Destroy You hinting at a post-rock band that are following all the regular measures, regardless of the eventual quality.
That’s not to say there’s not potential here, and while it’d be difficult to call this self-titled EP great, there’s still a fair amount of competence that Crevassian display that, even if not put to spectacular use right at this moment, could blossom into something of their own further down the line. Really, it represents the difficulties of talking about releases like this, that being how little there is to really say or analyse about solid releases that fall in line with genre expectations. To their credit, there’s a bit more crunch and snarl to Crevassian’s approach, with the heavier, more angular guitars of Those Forever Ghost nailing down a stronger foundation that so many other post-rock acts, and a pivot towards the dark clouds and apocalyptic viewpoint that can often lead to this genre’s most interesting fare. It’s hardly mind-blowing, particularly for post-rock, but Crevassian are showing the ability to lean into a heaviness that could potentially set them apart if they find more interesting ways to apply it.
And that’s really where they stumble at the minute; for as well-structured and crafted as this EP is, it falls into the key traps of lacking any profound sense of direction, instead proceeding to bulk itself out to be as ponderous and calamitous as possible with little to back it up. Summit is probably the best example in how its ten minutes might show Crevassian’s penchant for bleakness and heft, but there’s not a lot of progression amongst all that and it feels like simply yet another overly-long post-rock song that does little to back it up. It’s most noticeable here, but it’s something that the EP as a whole can suffer with, lacking that sense of cohesion to really earmark Crevassian among the post-rock bands doing something interesting that’s worth paying attention to.
It’s not as if this EP totally unravels because of it, because it doesn’t – there’s still a good deal of promise here that, with the right amount of seasoning, could have a lot of merit – but Crevassian aren’t doing a lot to stand out among swarms of bands currently doing the exact same thing, and it can make something like this feel more faceless than it rightfully should. As a first foray into post-rock’s darker turbulence, they turn out some good work, but “good” doesn’t always fly in this genre, and that’s exactly what’s happening to Crevassian here.
6/10
For fans of: This Will Destroy You, Maybeshewill, 65daysofstatic
Words by Luke Nuttall
‘Crevassian’ by Crevassian is out now.
