The instrumental rock scene (commonly labelled as ‘post-rock’ – much to the chagrin of most bands within the genre) has seen rapid growth over recent years.  Clones of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky are all too common, and at times it almost seems inevitable that the genre is doomed to becoming monotonously repetitive and formulaic.  Every now and then, however, the genre produces something innovative and refreshing which stands head and shoulders above the rest; walking tall in the face of mediocrity.  Enter Northern Ireland 4-piece And So I Watch You From Afar and their eponymous, full-length album.

The band members themselves are no strangers to the Northern Ireland music scene, having been formed by former members of Zombie Safari Park and PepperBook.  In 2007 they released a thoroughly well received debut EP entitled ‘This is Our Machine and Nothing Can Stop It’, as well as their follow-up EP ‘Tonight the City Burns’, which featured collaborations with friends from the bands Fighting With Wire, LaFaro, Driving by Night and Cruz, with the ambition of delivering a slice of “what Northern Irish music is really about.”  The launch of ‘Tonight the City Burns’ issued a clear statement of intent from the band in terms of the local music scene and Northern Irish artists in general, with the tagline “Fuck London, Fuck grumbling about NI music, Fuck waiting for something to happen” being used to advertise the launch gig for the EP.  This ruthless determination to push the local music scene was on display with full force once again when the band organised a 3-day showcase of local talent in late 2008, appropiately titled “A Little Solidarity“, which included the chance for young musicians to speak with industry veterans, check out local music photography exhibitions, as well as enjoy a behemoth line-up of live acts over the three days. It was certainly clear that these guys wanted to get off their collective ass and raise Northern Ireland’s profile on the music map. Not only were they talking the talk, they were walking the walk and encouraging other musicians in the country to do the same.

April 2009 sees the release of the band’s debut full length album, the self-titled “And So I Watch You From Afar”; their first release under the Derry/London-based independent label Smalltown America, home of fellow Northern Irish talent Jetplane Landing, Fighting With Wire, Oppenheimer and Clone Quartet.

Opener ‘Set Guitars to Kill‘ immediately sets the album apart from previous EP’s: this is no longer a sombre affair, the band are here to raise hell, as well as destroy it.  Powerful crashing drums couple with a wailing guitar siren to announce the band’s arrival as if the apocalypse is imminent.  Then the rock kicks in, slaps you in the cranium and next thing you know, you find yourself dancing along, regardless of the restrictions of the world around you. The frantic pace continues with the second track ‘A Little Solidarity Goes a Long Way‘. Chaotic drumming, epic reverberating guitars, all centred around a seriously addictive riff, which soon breaks down into a melodic fluffy moment before ripping back in towards a mammoth climax.

Elsewhere on the album there’s no shortage of variety.  ‘Start a Band‘ brings to mind the band’s punk roots, whilst ‘I Capture Castles‘ will please fans of early era Explosions in the Sky.  ‘Clench Fists, Grit Teeth…GO!‘ sounds as evil, burly and aggressive as its title would suggest, and ‘If It Ain’t Broke, Break It‘ is a mash of frenzied rhythms and daunting riffs.  The guys also show they certainly know how to throw a musical party, with the vocal chants and cowbell (!) on ‘Don’t Waste Time Doing Things You Hate‘ sounding like the apocalypse’s euphoric after-party, almost guaranteed to stimulate a huge cheesy grin on your mug.

Finally, the band sees the party off with two very different but equally brilliant moments.  Classic fan favourite ‘The Voiceless‘ has never sounded as good as it does on this album.  Beautiful guitar melodies, keyboard plonks and a blissful breakdown show that underneath the band’s aggression there is still a heart that has the ability to produce something wonderfully dreamy and moving.  The album finishes with ‘Eat the City, Eat it Whole‘, an uplifting opus of movements comprising feelings of hope, panic, calm and finally balls out brutal destruction.

Its easy to picture a band such as this going places in the future, despite being a solely instrumental band, thanks to the drive and passion these guys show for not only playing music, but for being involved and helping others alongside them walk the walk. In a genre becoming increasingly stale, its great to see a band break down the boundaries and push forward with an album of such original sound and style. As the title of one track implies, “If It Ain’t Broke, Break It” – thankfully, they really have.

‘And So I Watch You From Afar‘ is released on Smalltown America on 13th April 2009.
Double A side single ‘Set Guitars to Kill / A Little Solidarity Goes a Long Way‘ is out on 23rd March 2009.
You can view the video for A Little Solidarity Goes a Long Way on Youtube now.
You can also check out their Myspace to listen to tracks and check out more information.

Side-note: As fantastic and uncompromising collection of tracks as this album is, it still does not quite capture the true sense of enjoyment and atmosphere that comes from seeing the guys play live.  Be sure not to miss the opportunity to see these guys should the chance arise!