65daysofstatic - We Were Exploding Anyway

A move into euphoric post-electro paid dividends for Sheffield’s 65daysofstatic this year as they returned from three years in the wilderness, revitalised and raring to go. A world away from any of their previous records, ‘We Were Exploding Anyway’ was about as close to the band declaring a fresh start as it was possible to get.

Out went the post-rock they had become known and loved for. Out went the nervous anxiety that had characterised their earlier work (in particular, ‘The Destruction of Small Ideas’). In came a complete acceptance of electronic music and a sense of palpable release. They even had vocals on two songs (make that three out of their entire career).

They saved the best for last, too: closer ‘Tiger Girl’ is almost transcendental in nature, like nothing else they’ve done to date. The group sent out the message that they aren’t afraid to keep moving forward. The gradual progression that once defined their albums was abandoned. No-one could have foreseen just how much a progression this record would be. 65 have morphed an entirely different beast now, and this album was the perfect way to signal this monumental change. [GO’M]

mp3s: Tiger Girl // Crash Tactics