Metavari
Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise
Crossroads of America; 2009
Within my first spin of Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise, I was instantly struck by the technical precision of Metavari’s highly intellectual brand of instrumental jazzy pop. It was then I realized that I wouldn’t be allowed to utter the term “post-rock” (according to its conventional definition) to describe what this band has created here. While this might be a lyric-less record, complete with the occasional over-the-top, reach-for-the-sky anthem, this trio seems much more interested in blending together organic instrumentation with programmed beats and various audio samples to create ethereal, yet still accessible, atmospheres that provide ample room for any given listener’s personal use or re-interpretation.
To put it another way, the music of Metavari might be indebted to the sounds of Air, M83, Sigur Ros, and Six Parts Seven, but there’s a quirky human touch to this band’s approach that stands in contrast to the majestic opulence of its influences. As opposed to making some tremendously grand artistic statement, Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise sounds more like a band that’s reaching out to people in search of intimate conversation. The sincerity of this attitude, especially when coupled with the dearth of typical post-rock clichés, creates a serious, yet still quite light-hearted mood, that is supremely warm and inviting.
Sonically, this record is marked by heavy use of a Rhodes keyboard and the aforementioned programming and sampling to achieve a dreamy ambience that occasionally lulls the listener into place of repose and relaxation. Thus, my concern here is that Metavari can get lost in its own aesthetic – in an attempt to deconstruct the generic post-rock milieu into which the band is probably and unfortunately lumped, the result is often a “This is what we’re not” sort of sameness that plagues lesser tracks like “The Priest, The Shore and The Wait” and “Io, Apollo and The Veil.” However, when traditional drums and bass are included in the mix to their maximum effectiveness, they are able to establish a firm base upon which the other sounds can play, frolic, and dance with abandon. This can best be experienced on “Shimmer Marina,” the title cut, and the big, mountain-top track “Pacific Lights.”
Hence, Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise is a prime example of the best kind of instrumental (not necessarily post-) rock, as Metavari actually looks to move past the trappings of the genre into what sorts of sounds await the music world beyond what we’re used to hearing and playing. While I would like to hear the energy cranked up a notch or two in order to create a bit more diversity in regards to tempo and mood, I have found much to enjoy with this band’s music.