Apse has an ambiance akin to Grizzly Bear and Nine Inch Nails. View and ORDER more photos.

Experimental rockers Apse create a haunting atmosphere on debut

Date published: 9/4/2008

By Matt Cameron

Massachusetts-based post-rock group Apse got a lot of things right on their recently re-released debut CD. The first thing they nailed was the title, "Spirit," which accurately describes the paranormal sounds that make up nearly all of the disc.

The album consists largely of trance-inducing rhythms punctuated by ghostlike vocals, and reverb-soaked guitar and keyboard strokes. Together, they create an atmosphere that is alternately solemn and creepy.

The overpowering ambiance that the music creates is the second thing right about "Spirit." From the opening track, it is an album that begs to be heard all the way through, unfolding as a cohesive experiment in musical mysticism.

Just like two of last year's groundbreakers--Swedish electronica guru Axel Willner (better known as The Field) and the American rock band Battles--Apse explores new musical territory on "Spirit," which automatically places it ahead of 80 percent of the other CDs released in 2008. But instead of creating an album of minimalist electronica or mathematics-influenced rock music (as The Field and Battles did, respectively), Apse has filled "Spirit" with haunting post-rock that sounds like Grizzly Bear crossbred with Nine Inch Nails.

That leads to the third thing about "Spirit" that I like: It is a complicated album that isn't easily definable in terms of most modern music. Many bands try to create albums with a theme; but few manage to express those themes in a unique and influential way. Apse was able to make "Spirit" remarkable, however, by not conforming to musical standards but instead, creating something that is wholly its own.

It is precisely this detail that gives "Spirit" a distinct advantage over another piece of ghost-influenced rock that came out this year, The Black Angels' "Directions to See a Ghost." While not a bad album by any means, "Directions" is merely an extension of the psychedelic mysticism that has existed in rock music for decades. "Spirit" is something much more than that--it is a brand-new attempt to expose the spirits behind music--and for this reason alone, it is worthy of a place in anybody's record collection.

Matt Cameron is a senior at James Monroe High School.

Date published: 9/4/2008