the hylozoists

la fin du monde

2007-01-26

THE HYLOZOISTS LA FIN DU MONDE HYLOZOISM IS THE BELIEF THAT ALL MATTER HAS LIFE. THIS ALBUM, LA FIN DU MONDE, IS “ORCHESTRAL OPIUM FOR THE MASSES”. (TAKE YOUR MEDICINE). THIS 10PC CANADIAN, MAINLY, INSTRUMENTAL BAND FEATURES AN ALL STAR (AND ROTATING) CAST , INCLUDING MUSICIANS FROM, THE SADIES, GUTHRIES, ARCADE FIRE, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, THE WEAKERTHANS AND OTHERS. THEY ROLL OUT A GRAND, EVEN TRIUMPHANT, SOUND USING A VARIETY OF HORNS, MALLETED INSTRUMENTS, STRING INSTRUMENTS, BELLS, ORGANS..AND MORE! MY FAVORITE DESCRIPTION CAME FROM AURAL INNOVATIONS: “A COMPLETE, INSTRUMENTAL, PSYCHEDELIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF POP MUSIC, SEEN THROUGH THE COMPOUND EYE SOF EXTRA-DIMENSIONAL ALIENS.” THEY HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO AIR, TORTOISE AND STEREOLAB. ALTHOUGH IT IS MOSTLY INSTRUMENTAL, YOU’LL FIND SOME VOCALS INTERLACED IN THE TRACKS (#5, #9, #11). WITHIN THE TUNES, THE STYLES CAN RANGE FROM CARNIVAL,TO DREAMSCAPE, TO POP ROCK AND EVEN CLASSICAL. IT’S NOT SO MUCH THAT IT JUMPS FROM GENRE TO GENRE, AS MUCH AS THEY ACTUALLY SOUND LIKE THEY WERE ALL PUT INTO A BLENDER TOGETHER, WITH DIFFERENT FLAVORS SUBTLY RISING TO THE SURFACE FROM TIME TO TIME. AN ENJOYABLE LISTEN. BECKY KENNY