I was never really partial to instrumental bands, but that is quickly beginning to change as I am discovering more bands that don’t feature a singer of any kind to put a voice to go with the music. One band that recently made its way into my radar is Providence, RI post-rockers A Troop Of Echoes. What sets this group of musicians apart from the flock is their inclusion of a saxophone, which brings a fantastic and refreshing jazz aspect to the music. The band’s latest album, The Longest Year On Record is quite a listen that features peaks and valleys that trade between smooth jazz and what I would describe as experimental post-rock. The effort features layers of music in each of its nine tracks, which coalesce fantastically. It’s a nice listen and a record that I can definitely see myself listening to in the future after a long day or when in need of some reflection.
It’s not often – these days anyway – that you get a saxophone player, or any type of woodwind instrument in the rock genre. Sure, sometimes they’re brought in for some flare or to throw a curve ball at the listener but rarely is it at the forefront of like it is with A Troop Of Echoes. It’s certainly refreshing to come across a band that is doing something like this. The music is emotive and gets its point across through instrumentation alone, which is definitely an important quality for a band such as this. If you’re not going to have a vocalist to give some kind of interpretation to the music, then the instruments need to tell that story. That story, whatever it may be to the listener, is loud and clear on The Longest Year On Record. Don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourself below. If you like what you hear pick up a copy here.
