When Mogwai introduced me to the wonders of instrumental music, I was keen to hoover up any band who eschewed the use of vocals. With a background of listening to metal Chigaco’s Pelican seemed to marry two of my favourite musical styles. I hadn’t quite ventured into what we might call post-metal territories, but it appears Pelican were the gateway to that sub-genre of instrumentalism. Duly albums were sought out and I caught the band play live too. Notching up release after release as my interests sought out more extremes in terms of sound, Pelican got left behind a little.
For their first album in six years, entitled Flickering Resonance, the original line-up of Trevor de Brauw (guitar), Bryan Herweg (bass) and Larry Herweg (drums) were rejoined by guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec who had a hiatus of ten years or so. It seems the band found some of their initial spark again having their mate back in the fold. Recorded with the longtime servant Sanford Parker, the album finds the band “more willing to acknowledge all the suits they’re wearing”.
Bright spiralling riffs usher in the sturdy yet pleasing chug of opener ‘Gultch’. There’s a lovely Celtic vibe to the melody, like Mogwai in full flight. Pelican’s USP is the tone of their guitars which are nice ‘n meaty without causing too much consternation. ‘Evergreen’ flows like thick lava down a mountain, breaking into little passages of choppy riffs for some added dynamic. ‘Indelible’ has a twitchy wee skank to the unfolding riffs, almost playful. There’s almost a verse chorus verse structure to it which helps with the digestion of tasty riffs being served up. The delightful melodic lead line that drops halfway through is like a rainbow in the sky. Then the wee quirky melodies that tag on at the end are delicate and sweet.
Despite the slightly nerdy name of track ‘Specific Resonance’ jumps into a powering groove as riffs slip and slide around like oil round an engine. There’s maybe a little too much reliance on riffage though as any variation only comes near the track’s end. The push and pull of the groove on ‘Cascading Crescent’ brings back the head nodding. The rubbery bounce of the guitars in the ‘verse’ does weird things to my brain in a very good way. Bryan’s bass is nice n’ gnarly underpinning the lovely sheen of the guitars. The glide of the solo near the end is slick and satisfying. ‘Pining For Ever’ keeps it tight and claustrophobic at the start as riffs lock into the steady beats, no nonsense style. As the track winds out, there’s a widescreen appreciation of melodic textures and more intricacy as the riffs and melodies vie for your attention.
Bands of this ilk don’t tend to do ballads for obvious reasons but do occasionally delve into quieter waters. The liquid flow of cleaner guitars on ‘Flickering Stillness’ plays out in a very appealing way allowing Larry’s drums to feature more prominently. He has a very distinct style which you either appreciate or don’t. I think it suits Pelican’s sound which is never too mathematical and I’m just fine with that. Closing track ‘Wandering Mind’ opens with a bass line that is very reminiscent of Eric Avery’s slippery groove in ‘Mountain Song’ so it’s instantly onto a winner with me. Clean guitars twang with pure menace as the melancholic tones bring a cold chill. There’s a beautiful passage where the melody arcs into something more hopeful and you wish for more of these atmospherics. Eventually the urge to go fuzzy takes over as the guitars amp up and the cymbals crash with fury. This is mighty impressive, and they saved the best for last. Just time for a stunning guitar solo to end proceedings on a very high note.
There’s more than enough bands ploughing the furrows of instrument rock/metal and you either have to have great musicianship or a unique selling point to survive. I’ve been listening to Pelican for a long time, so they get special dispensation as being one of the first pioneers to garner my interest. Growing old gracefully, Flickering Resonance finds Pelican revitalised yet not venturing too far away from their trademark sounds.
