This Will Destroy You

Texas is a weird place. But not necessarily a bad place, regardless of what knee-jerk rich-kid college politicos might lead you to believe. It’s bigger, and consequently so are the egos and companion prick-ery, but go to LA for a long weekend and tell me which one you prefer. Getting back to the whole big thing, lots of things are bigger in Texas: LBJ’s cock, Brahma bulls, and, of course, the rock. This Will Destroy You is not the big rock from Texas that ZZ Top is, moreso the wide-open grandeur that is Explosions In The Sky, but they leave a Texas-sized impression with their eponymous debut.

I’m sure both parties are getting tired of the comparisons, but when you have the unlikely success that Explosions have, one party better be grateful that somebody cares after eight years and the other should be damn happy that the door was held open for them. Not that there’s any beef between the two and with Explosions going on extended hiatus, I suspect a torch may very be passed.

The last two years have been prosperous ones for Team TWDY. Their dazzlingly cinematic sound has been used in a host of documentary works and even popped up in a Pentagon briefing video. How’s that for placement? It’s not Friday Night Lights, but it certainly gets the tongues wagging. All the talking is in danger of overshadowing the music, which really is wonderful. And beautiful, too. TWDY use dynamics and space masterfully. It’s obvious that there is someone, if not all of them, in the franchise that is familiar with composition and scoring.

Magic Bullet sure have scored with this one. They have always been known for working with innovative artists, but this is definitely a record that I can see bringing a lot more people toward their catalog. This Will Destroy You have geared up for some serious road work behind their first full-length. and I can’t think that it’s not going to bear fruit for them. For once it seems to be happening for the good guys. This Will Destroy You is not for everyone, but in an ideal world it would be.

This Will Destroy You will be on tour with Lymbyc System in September. Check them out in Brooklyn on 9/15 at Union Hall and 9/16 in Manhattan at the Knit. Tix are $8 in advance.

www.myspace.com/thiswilldestroyyou
www.magicbulletrecords.com