As the scariest day of the year approaches how better to get into the mood than to sit back and be shaken by the threat of hooded axemen wielding guitars that conjure shadowy silhouettes. Despite the fact that Shipping News could alarm the vulnerable there is an emotional depth to their music that coaxes the brave towards further investigation. ‘Axons and Dendrites’ plays the post-rock card to perfection yet it’s the eerily layered vocals that appear after several minutes of expansive shenanigans that catapult this mood piece skywards. This is the sound of the voices that come from your cupboard at 3am as you hug your comfort blanket. The undeniable swing creates a momentum that could propel the pendulum on a 12-foot grandfather clock. Todd Cook’s rich bass and Kyle Crabtree’s ambling percussion integrate with such intensity that the whirling wall of sound can’t help but levitate nearby furniture until it crashes to the floor at fade out. KD

Shipping News - Axoms & Dentrites

Album: Flies The Fields
Year: 2005
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