Our album was reviewed by The Silent Ballet. They are a group of music fanatics out of Pennsylvania that specify in instrumental and electronic music from around the world..
Score: 7.5/10
They Mean Us play simple, up-tempo mathy-postish-indie rock with a certain je ne sais quoi that permeates every aspect of this beautifully orchestrated semi-progressive instrumental euphoria. Celestial in tone, yet earthy in approach, this Texan sextet embosses a depth and tone to their music that has more in common with Scandinavian jazz heads The Samuel Jackson Five and Cleveland's To Be a High Powered Executive than other Texan standard bearers. They Mean Us exist wholly apart from today's derivative, boring post-rock and electronic scenes, spanning a breadth of styles and genres so gracefully it's shocking to learn they haven't been around since 1995 at the least.
Perhaps They Mean Us are most readily compared to the influx of emo influenced bands from the midwest in the 90's. My ears detect hints of American Football, Cap 'n Jazz, and Owen, but Friendship Lottery's sound is that same clean guitar fueled jazzy aesthetic filtered through 10+ years of post rock, morphed into a truly powerful listening experience. Too many bands with such a wide array of styles and instruments at their disposal rely on creating an "envelope" of sound. They Mean Us uses the expanded palette of cello, dual guitar, electronics, bass and drums to develop a sort of focused perspective, initially drawing the listener from one theme to another, highlighting not individual instruments, but individual articulations and phrases. A calming, ghastly mood of defined purpose dominates this album, spreading an impassioned light of thoughtful preciseness, and that very precision gives this album a math rock feel with out jarring instrumentation or overly complex rhythmic accompaniment. There is no bad member, nor even a bad performance, in this group. They play off of, and occasionally on top of, each other very well. The diverse use of strings never conflict or bury each other in the mix. This speaks for the album's fantastic production and the talent of the musicians behind it.
I have no gripe with Friendship Lottery, other than its inane title. I cannot think of a single person I would not recommend this album too. If you're looking to get into instrumental music, this is where you should start. If you are already a fan of instrumental music, you have no excuse not to buy this right away. Get it now. A top contender for best EP of the year.
-Jack Britton
Score: 7.5/10
They Mean Us play simple, up-tempo mathy-postish-indie rock with a certain je ne sais quoi that permeates every aspect of this beautifully orchestrated semi-progressive instrumental euphoria. Celestial in tone, yet earthy in approach, this Texan sextet embosses a depth and tone to their music that has more in common with Scandinavian jazz heads The Samuel Jackson Five and Cleveland's To Be a High Powered Executive than other Texan standard bearers. They Mean Us exist wholly apart from today's derivative, boring post-rock and electronic scenes, spanning a breadth of styles and genres so gracefully it's shocking to learn they haven't been around since 1995 at the least.
Perhaps They Mean Us are most readily compared to the influx of emo influenced bands from the midwest in the 90's. My ears detect hints of American Football, Cap 'n Jazz, and Owen, but Friendship Lottery's sound is that same clean guitar fueled jazzy aesthetic filtered through 10+ years of post rock, morphed into a truly powerful listening experience. Too many bands with such a wide array of styles and instruments at their disposal rely on creating an "envelope" of sound. They Mean Us uses the expanded palette of cello, dual guitar, electronics, bass and drums to develop a sort of focused perspective, initially drawing the listener from one theme to another, highlighting not individual instruments, but individual articulations and phrases. A calming, ghastly mood of defined purpose dominates this album, spreading an impassioned light of thoughtful preciseness, and that very precision gives this album a math rock feel with out jarring instrumentation or overly complex rhythmic accompaniment. There is no bad member, nor even a bad performance, in this group. They play off of, and occasionally on top of, each other very well. The diverse use of strings never conflict or bury each other in the mix. This speaks for the album's fantastic production and the talent of the musicians behind it.
I have no gripe with Friendship Lottery, other than its inane title. I cannot think of a single person I would not recommend this album too. If you're looking to get into instrumental music, this is where you should start. If you are already a fan of instrumental music, you have no excuse not to buy this right away. Get it now. A top contender for best EP of the year.
-Jack Britton
VIEW 7 of 7 COMMENTS
loretta:
nah, the bike tips over a lot easier...
menotyou:
Damn. It's not going to be long before you are too cool to hang out with the likes of me.