Godspeed You! Black Emperor — No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead
The decidedly lengthy, and rather clunkily titled No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead, is album number eight from this Canadian post-rock collective. It finds the band in a decidedly rough ‘n’ ready 1970s setting- in both its lose & crude production and its sonic pallet which heavily nods towards the more ragged guitar-bound side of both Neil Young and Popol Vuh, as well as general earthy/ rough instrumental country-rock vibe.
I’ll have to admit that my interest/ awareness of Godspeed You! Black Emperor mostly focuses on their first three albums- 1997’s F♯ A♯ ∞, 2000’s Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, and 2002 Yanqui U.X.O. I’ve heard bits ‘n’ bobs of later albums, and liked elements- but never really enough to set me alight or want me to replay it. So when No Title……….., appeared I was expecting a similar response, but I’m surprised/ happy to say I was very much taken with what the album had to offer- enjoying its general feel of crude/ worn grandeur, and churning/ ragged building-to- -rocking out vibe.
The album in its CD/ digital download format takes six tracks, and just over fifty-four minutes of music. With the vinyl version adding in a thirteen-minute bonus track- but as I’m reviewing the CD version, so I can’t comment on this track.
The album opens with "Sun Is a Hole Sun Is Vapors"- this begins with these weird sort of bouncing guitar pick tones/ whispers before we move into the slowly wavering & winding up tone of the track- which brings together a rough ‘n’ baying guitar tone, cleaner more wailing atmospheric guitar twangs, loose bass darts, and wavering like harmonica tones. The whole thing sounds like a very heavily stoned Popol Vuh scored a Western.
Moving on we have “Raindrops Cast in Lead”- it opens in a decidedly eerier manner with creaking in wind-like tones and a general hazed-if- lightly warming ambience- bringing to mind the sun slowly coming up on a barren, dusty, and abandoned western town. In time of mid-paced bounding beat kicks- with a ragged ‘n’ baying central guitar riff & building- if- slight bedraggled string swoon. As we move along we slow/ pare back for a spaced-out raw/ wail guitar, violin and sample of a busy female Asian voice- before things pick up pace in a nice ragged ‘n’ rocking groove.
The album plays out with "Grey Rubble – Green Shoots" which is prime atmospherically building- then- paring back GY!BE territory. With the tracks tolling guitar layers, grimly bounding bass work, steady- barren drum pattern, and building layers of waving ‘n’ worn strings/ guitars.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor take Post Rock has always been about emotional honesty/ no thrills production. And with No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead, that is once more crystal clear, but this time around there’s a more ragged ‘n’ raw glory to proceedings- which truly enhances the impact & atmosphere of the album/ tracks