Rest

Clocking in at almost 50 minutes, Rest is Gregor Samsa's second and latest studio album. This (at the time) seven-piece band from Virginia have often been described as "post-rock," though they eschew that label, and they could be more accurately described as having shoegaze and ambient influences. Regardless, they need no labels because this album speaks for itself, and its composition has an interesting back story. Because the band members live so far away, they batted around ideas via e-mail for weeks, reworking melodies and crafting lyrics bit by bit, before finally settling on a date to practice and then record the finished product.

Rest is an apt title for the new album, as long-time fans of Gregor Samsa will notice the more subdued sound. Fortunately, they haven't lost their old sound; they've just filled it out by combining it with the new. Most importantly, they retain their signature characteristics, including the dream-like soundscapes and the dual vocals of Nikki King and Champ Bennett. The guitar, synth, violin, piano and to a lesser extent, the drums, make their appearances throughout the album, especially the Rhodes piano, Nikki King's favored instrument.

Based on the album art and the lyrics, there seems to be a "lost at sea" theme to Rest. I don't want to spoil the lyrics too much for anyone who likes to be surprised when they first listen (like me!), so I'll try to describe the mood of the songs instead. The album starts off with "The Adolescent" and "Ain Leuh," two strong tracks that begin with shimmering sounds and vocals that evoke a sense of longing. A minor piano key and the drums feature next on "Abutting, Dismantling," which plods on a bit, followed by "Company," a short, ambient interlude with no vocals. "Jeroen Van Aken" sets a more distinctive mood for the second half of the album, one of quiet dissatisfaction, as Nikki King's urgent voice fades in, the drums come in briefly, and finally Champ and King sing about transience. I think it's one of the best songs here, and since Gregor Samsa partnered with a friend of theirs to put it to video, they must think so too.

After "Jeroen" comes "Rendered Yards," another short song with Nikki King's voice on its own, and what sounds like a musical saw in the background. The piano and violin flourishes in "Pseudonyms" are more hopeful, and this song surprisingly touches on politics, but not in a way that distracts from the tone of the album. "First Mile, Last Mile" takes the album back to a personal focus before effectively contrasting this focus with a long soundscape; the last song, "Du Meine Leise" is a decidedly good closer, the kind of reserved, personal track we would expect from Gregor Samsa.

I should note that at first I was disappointed with the album, mostly because of the more subdued sound I already mentioned; but Rest has stood up to relistens, and I now think it's a worthy successor to 55:12. Here's hoping for many more albums from Gregor Samsa.

_Rest_ is a highly impressive new release from Gregor Samsa. As to be expected from this band, the music is extremely mellow and atmospheric, and at times very minimalist, characteristically providing a design that can't even remotely be considered "rock music." The vocals are a righteous balance of hushed male and fragile yet graceful female. The music, simple as it may seem, is highly textured and carefully assembled, and includes an elaborate assortment of instruments including strings, horns, synths, and vibraphones, all of which interact in a seemingly endless variety of ways throughout the album. Guitars and percussion are present, but used very sparingly, and only where they prove to be musically logical. Musically speaking, it is an artistic triumph. Songs like "The Adolescent," "Ain Leuh," and "Jeroen von Aiken" show the band's talent to take a simple, plodding, repetitive melody and turn it into something wondrously meditative, drawing the attentive listener further and further in rather than causing a loss of interest. It's hard to identify specific highlights within the album, because it's hard to view the songs as individual pieces. They each tell a different story and yield a different musical accomplishment, yet they are all inseparable pieces of an entire musical journey. _Rest_ also features contributions from stylistic peers Toby Driver and Mia Matsumiya of Kayo Dot. I rate this 8.5/10 now, and that may climb a little higher with time.

*This is the second of a three-review collection of mine, featuring three albums of 2008 somewhat comparable in style, all featuring boy-meets-girl vocals, and each unique in its own right. Of the three, I consider this to be the most musically fulfilling and probably the most "important" in the grand scheme of things, although it is not necessarily my favorite.
- See _Sunday at Devil Dirt_ by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan for a more casual and naturalistically folkish album, that is cheerful enough without being sugary, and gloomy enough without being depressing.
- See _Rest_ by Gregor Samsa for a more minimalist and artistic album that will appeal more to highly eclectic music listeners as well as fans of post-rock.
- See _Cove_ by A Weather for an album with similar placidity, and the catchy flow of pop music without actually being pop music.

› Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars