Shake your Canadian Fists

This is a significant improvement over the mediocre UXO release. The music herein moves with a compelling direction and there is an internal logic to what's on offer here that sets them apart from their own work as well as others like Explosions In The Sky and the knob-obsessed Pelican.

Fantastic and very boring at the same time

I had this album recommended to me by a friend and I must say that I see why he would recommend it. The high points of the album are beautiful, striking and powerful soundscapes that nary a band will ever be able to match. However, to anyone interested in this album, I must warn that the high points are a minority of the actual album. In Static, for example, a 22 minute song, this "high point" comes in about 11 minutes into it, and only lasts till about the 17th minute. Its an amazing piece of music, to be sure, but the greater portion of the song is just plain boring. For someone who enjoys this sort of sound, I would really recommend Sigur Ros before Godspeed, as they are able to say just as much in their songs but are also able to say it without 10 minutes of boredom. Some might argue that this multitude of ambient sound (face it, it's not really music) is an artistic buildup to the great climaxes, but when casually listening to music, I prefer a song that entertains me the whole way through, artistic or not.

Transcendent, but more than a little tiring

The post rock movement is certainly dependent upon artistic principles and the understanding of the aesthetically attune listener. Those that have ingratiated themselves with the cadence, tempo and tone of modern pop music will not get a whole lot out of Godspeed. However, there's more to it than simply one's ability to perceive a good artistic composition; there is the issue of indurance and commitment. Godspeed warrants an unprecedented level of patience and attention from the listener, as well as a particular emotional state. That being said, Lift is another glorious entry in Godspeed's discography, perhaps more focused and inventive than any other release in the band's history. The swells, crescendos and incomparable ambient breakdowns have yet to be paralleled by any band, even those among the post rock elite.