Pillars and Tongues
End-dances
Empty Cellar Records
Street: 09.17
Pillars and Tongues = Grouper + Daughter
While “Knifelike” starts out with pop-infused rock similar to The National, End-dances mixes those elements with strange, seductive drumming and chanting that gives off a creepy, satanic folk type of energy. This album reaches its cult-like peak during “Travel,” with chanting fit for a monastery and a haunting violin to add to the hymn. The lyrics start to fade come “Ends” (which is not actually the end), with ambient vibes that lead you straight to the actual end, “Ships,” with sonic emptiness comparable to the endless horizon in the middle of the sea. –Brinley Froelich