It’s albums like this that make me love the fact that I write for a webzine. For every 20 shitty run-of-the-mill promos I am asked to review, I get one that makes my jaw drop down to the floor, where I am completely mesmerized by the music of some unknown unsigned band that deserves exposure, but because there’s no justice in this world, especially in the music industry, the band has to toil away in obscurity. “Farmer’s Almanac” is one of those records.

EAST OF THE WALL is an instrumental Post-Rock from New Jersey, and it was formed by the members of the now-defunct THE POSTMAN SYNDROME. I haven’t heard any TPS, but if it’s anything like this, it should be awesome.

The music can sometimes be very heavy (“Meat Pendulum”, “Clowning Achievement”), but generally, the music is in the realms of trippy instrumental Prog, and that’s where the band’s charm lies. They show complexity in their music, with the subtly changing rhythm, the beat constantly shifting to give the music this very ethereal and outwardly feel; the guitars and bass often playing around and off each other, with each driving the song in the same direction as the others, but taking a slightly different route. The musicians’ ability to write around each others’ melodic lines gives the music a richness which is discovered through repeated listens, because after a few times of subjecting yourself to this, you will see how, for example one guitar player will play a melodic line, while the other one will go from playing a basic rhythm to playing the harmony to the above line, while the bass plays a straightforward groove. The mall, barely noticeable discrepancies between the two guitars and the bass also adds to this effect, which gives the music an extra dimension of complexity.

However, despite being pretty complex harmonically and rhythmically, this music is melodic and catchy. It’s abundant with melodies, great riffs, everything seamlessly mixed into one pot, where the point isn’t to bash the listener’s head in or disorient them (like BEHOLD…THE ARCTOPUS would do. Who are awesome, by the way), but to compose complex yet memorable instrumental songs, with great hooks. My one problem with the album? It’s too short!! It’s not often where I can honestly say that time flies when I listen to an album, but “Farmer’s Almanac” goes by in what feels to be 10 minutes.

Highest recommendation.

(Online November 8, 2008)