Way Station
Post-rock
RIYL: Red Sparowes, Explosions in the Sky, Russian Circles
Instrumental music can be off-putting to people. There is a certain atmosphere and feeling associated great instrumental stuff and Ukraine’s Way Down are in that category. Formed in 2010 by Nikita Yudin, the featured track “Clouds Dropped Down,” is a preview of what we’ll here on their forthcoming record The Way of Minstrel.
While post-rock and instrumental music groups are a dime a dozen, Way Station prove that they belong in the same sentence as the genre stalwarts. In fact, this writer’s measure of a great post-rock track is whether the song effects one’s mood. This song does that and more. Further, this song could replace any song performed by Explosions in the Sky on Friday Night Lights, and it would fit.
Sonically, there are great layers throughout the track, and Yudin’s guitar work, masked with oscillating guitar tone is amazing. It, paired with Artem Krivenko’s moody bass licks, akin to that of Depeche Mode in some places, make for a brilliant monolith of post-rock goodness.
Those layers, composed with the typical post-rock rise and fall, merry well with the bridge. In some post-rock songs, the bridge is more of a throw away to connect two pieces, whereas here, the link not only fits the song well, but its lead to the track’s crescendo is well crafter and expertly executed.
As the song closes, peaceful resolution comes from a bludgeoner of a song. While the track carries weight, the song seems to carry a bright message as well. That message is heard most in Yudin’s guitar tone. Ultimately, if you were looking for the same post-rock formula as other post-rock bands, you won’t be surprised. However, after listening further, you can hear a story in the song – and that’s what makes the track great. We here at New Music Faster cannot wait for the full-length release.
