MILHAVEN – s/t
(CD, Valeot)
The new Valeot release
features old buddies from the days when the various bands and projects of
the label owners were still released on the same label. And on top of all
the nepotism, Milhaven
play postrock in the most basic formation imaginable: two guitars, drums and
bass. Fortunately, though, there is a definitive quality promise in here.
12rec.net, the label were these people met, is one of the finest internet
music labels around. Valeot is also strictly interested in the quality of
the music and the releases, and not so much in helping friends out. The
proof here is the wonderful cover – like a small hardcover book with
impress printing. And of course, most important of all, the music itself.
Despite the abysmal sound of the abbreviated description above, Milhaven
play their own, organically growing and great version of postrock. So, to
take this away, against all odds: the second full length of Milhaven will
receive five of five points in the final judgement.
Because, within their
restricted framework, Milhaven play gently flowing and growing instrumental
pieces, that ease my mind and help me to relax. These days, that is worth a
lot to me. Actually, I could use a lot more of that than just eight songs.
The songs are technically simple in most ways. Milhaven stay away from
wanting to show off technical abilities or to cast themselves in the
shackles of strange rhythms and complex structures. Something that made
postrock stale and boring to listen to, when it was around for the first
time. Instead they open up melodies and dynamics that melt on the mind
easily, by focusing stronger on the total movement of the song rather than
the tiny microbits that make them up. They decide for a sound – one guitar
more distorted, adding the flowing soundscapes in the back, and one guitar
cleaner adding the glistering specks of beauty to the landscapes – and
then go for a dynamic that takes them up and down above the mountain peaks
of their instrumentals.
In other words, they owe a lot
more to the prog-instrumental-bands that clogged Hydra Head for some years,
than Tortoise
or whatever Jeff McCombs is doing today. Those bands that also are more
interested in producing landscapes of sounds, sometimes heavy, sometimes
ambient, but always oriented on the overall track. But, in contrast to those
Monoliths, who are always going for bigger and bigger visions, the
landscapes drawn by Milhaven are smaller. Compare New England to the
Midwest. They could fit well on a small stage where the crowd is filled with
all friendly people you know. Whereas you never know who you end up next to
when visiting a show by Isis.
