By: Gareth Watkin
Go Run Donkey Hot! | facebook | bandcamp |
Post-rock can sometimes come across as a bit of a funny genre from time to time. In more recent years, there seems to have been an emergence of a format for most bands to follow in the genre, whilst earliest precedents contained more of an experimental root. This common formality of the genre has inspired others to do their best to shift things about to their advantage, and at the very least, set themselves apart from the most ordinary of bands. With that, we’re introduced to Go Run Donkey Hot!.
Go Run Donkey Hot!’s music falls largely into that common sound of post-rock, though we see definite sparks of creativity here and there, showing a band who understand the genre in a very competent way. The band seem to have distanced themselves from the most frustrating of elements so often seen in the genre, and have simply gone for what they feel most comfortable with, resulting in a gentle and pleasant post-rock album. Saxophones anchor together the melodies of guitars and bass in a delightful and charming way, before letting way to odd crunchy crescendos from time to time. Think The Drift meets The Weird Weeds if your post rock knowledge is obscure enough.
There’s definitely some good ideas being presented by the band, who utilize the inclusion of a saxophone to help make their music stand out. It’s hardly a unique element to throw in, but it’s perhaps an element of post-rock that’s been ignored by most. It helps to add a bit of depth to the music, which is important for Go Run Donkey Hot! as it seems their music is lacking it on occasion. Certain points of the album feel a little lacklustre, and struggle to really gain any momentum despite having what it takes to make it all work.
Summerth is hardly a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, but despite having attempts to push the envelope a bit, it all feels a little too safe, and perhaps too reliant on what people come to expect from the genre. Certain tracks stand out nicely, sounding delightfully charming when compared to what else we know, whilst others just don’t seem to have a lasting impression, and thus fail to gives this album the depth its clearly striving to create. When the album works, it suggests some nice levels of creativity from the band, though perhaps it’s a little thinly spread to begin with at times.
