Godspeed You! Black Emperor // Allelulujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
Pavlis ascends but doesn't bend with GY!BE.
In true guerrilla style, the first most people knew of the (long rumoured) new album from GY!BE was its appearance on the merchandise stall at a gig. With no press releases, no “internet leaks”, almost ten years to the day since the release of the (somewhat disappointing) “Yanqui UXO”, GY!BE release what is their most consistent album yet.
As with previous GY!BE released, this is instrumental, combining the standard rock fare of guitars, bass and drums with violin, cello and various items of percussion to create something truly original. The occasional 'found sound' is incorporated but these never take precedence over the musical content and, unlike debut 'F#A#∞', never become an unwelcome distraction.
'Allelulujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!' is made up of two lengthy pieces and two shorter 'drone' pieces. The former clock in at roughly twenty minutes each and are widescreen and cinematic in their breadth and vision. 'Mladic' mines a similar vein to 'East Hastings' (from the aforementioned 'F#A#∞'), whilst 'We Drift Like Worried Fire' is , by turns, sinister and uplifting. The latter are hardly short by most standards, running to six and a half minutes each, calling to mind Eno-esque ambient, albeit played on more traditional instruments rather than Eno’s synths, loops and sound generators.
Ultimately, as with previous GY!BE releases (and almost everything on Constellation), this is Marmite. Listeners will either love it or hate it.
9/10 Pavlis
