View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.5 (468 ratings)
- Date Released: November 4, 2003
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock
- Label: Temporary Residence Ltd. / The Orchard
You've heard them on Friday Night Lights. Now listen to them for real.
-
We Say...
Set 'em up, knock 'em down. If what Explosions in the Sky do is so easy, though, why haven't there been a raft of imitators cashing in on crescendo-core? Here's a thought: it ain't that easy after all. Despite what sounds like an endless build-to-ecstatic-release formula, EITS's The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place is a masterpiece of restraint and, believe it or not, subtlety.
Whereas on the group's second album, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever, the quartet seemed to be racing headlong towards the pay-off, on The Earth the group is content to wander a bit, survey the terrain and come at those celebratory moments from odder angles. "Your Hand in Mine" and "Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean" almost glide in parts, their themes rolling along a manner that might be described as funky (a term that can only be brought out here because the rest of The Earth is so unrelentingly stiff). And the first section of "First Breath After Coma" doesn't even have that moment where everything seems to explode at once.
The EITS boys are hyper-aware of their shtick and are just as interested in subverting it. And perhaps that's why Friday Night Lights, the movie and television show, came calling. Perfect for soundtracking the dull menace of high school — where everything seems a bit more epic than it actually is — The Earth was a backdrop par excellence for a dusty Texas town obsessed by football. Even if the group who made it — and the majority of the listeners who bought it — were the ones getting beat up by those same football players years ago. -
They Say...
Explosions in the Sky's second effort takes a more studied, even lush approach to the literate chaos of their 2001 debut. But put on your sad sack thinking cap now, because Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place is a contemplative and heady rush of masterful melancholia. Its six songs are multi-minute, slow motion workouts of gentle electric guitar plucks and subtle/sudden washes of percussion -- they're still instrumental, but as lyrical as anything in the indie rock universe. "Only Moment We Were Alone" turns on a simple, melancholy guitar figure, the drums shifting from insistent catch-up mode to a studied march built to introduce the next layered crescendo. Explosions in the Sky doesn't shift as suddenly or jarringly on Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place; the quartet has applied more structural predictability this time out, but is still quick about setting the sad butterflies in your stomach to fluttering. "Memorial" is the album's meditative heart. It begins so quietly, reduced to brittle landscapes of tone. Lightly chiming guitars drift in, like the echoes of church bells off in narrow city streets. Then, like each of the album's movements, it surges forward in a rush, like the overtures of Sonic Youth separated, dried, and ultimately lengthened in the blistering Texas sun. The final blast of distortion and staccato drumming is Earth at full bittersweet bluster. "Your Hand in Mine" ends things as they began, with a pair of determined guitars picking out a melody that's both pretty and pretty damn heartbreaking.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
This album includes one or more tracks available only with a full album download.
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
| 01. |  |
First Breath After Coma |
9:33 |
|
| 02. | |
The Only Moment We Were Alone |
10:14 |
|
| 03. | |
Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean |
8:43 |
|
| 04. | |
Memorial |
8:50 |
|
| 05. | |
Your Hand In Mine |
8:17 |
|
05 Total Tracks, 45:37 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like Explosions In The Sky, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by Explosions In The Sky fans
Credits
- John Congleton - Engineer // Explosions in the Sky - Main Performer // Christopher Hrasky - Performer // Christopher Hrasky - Group Member // Munaf Rayani - Performer // Munaf Rayani - Group Member // Esteban Rey - Artwork // Michael James - Performer // Michael James - Group Member
Choose from over 6 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC