Though I Stray and I Struggle

Castanets - All That I know to Have Changed in You.

My first thought when hearing this record is that it's where REM should've ended up. It's got the long, slow instrumentation reminscent of late-period REM records, and the warm, heavy bass of Mike Mills. But at the end of the day, it's just better. It does a better job of hitting the emotional heights. It effortlessly embraces the frost and its delicate beauty.

Castanets were briefly buzzed about last year, when their Cathedral record was released. This new album, First Light's Freeze finds them continuing their exploration of long song forms and barely perceptable movements. It's a quiet, low-key record, full of cleaned-up fuzz and drone. I wasn't going to post it when I first listened, but after listening a few more times it really latched on tight, and each time I listen is better than the next. It's really an excellent album, and I highly recommend it. With hints of country, jazz, and quiet indie rock, it covers a lot of ground while remaining singularly grounded in its own world.

It's got great cover art, too.

To learn more, you can drop by the band's page at Asthmatic Kitty Records, and purchase their previous material. First Light's Freeze will be released on October 11th. We're going to be instituting a new release reminder effort here at robots to remind you (and us) when the records we review will be released.