Photos and Review by Stephen Goodwin
Texan “post-rock” outfit Explosions in the Sky is all about intricate, intertwining guitars melodies that ache with a bittersweet beauty. Prosaically, you’d describe them as “pretty”.
But tonight there’s a single moment during, I’m pretty sure, Postcard From 1952 (or maybe it’s Let Me Back In) that showcases the impossible beauty of their songs.
The pulse of the song is slowing. The percussion drops from a storm to a whisper and, peering over the heads of the many rows in front I can see guitarist Munaf Rayani, couting the time with one hand, teasing out the pauses between each restatement of the melody.
And, in that hushed moment, the crowd noise evaporates. There’s only the quiet trembling of each guitar note as it rings and dies away, and an infinitely tender half-silence broken only by the the occasional crash of a bottle from the bar staff.
The wordless synchronicity — the sheer rightness — of it all is just exquisite.
Setlist
Yasmin the Light
Catastrophe and the Cure
Last Known Surroundings
Postcard From 1952
Greet Death
Your Hand in Mine
Let Me Back In
The Birth and Death of the Day
The Only Moment We Were Alone
Acts: Explosions in the Sky
Venue: The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
Date: December 13, 2011
Photos and Words by: Stephen Goodwin
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