Civil Service
Dark///
A Cheery Wave / Ripcord Records
Post rock is a genre known for its feel good vibes, twinkling melodies, hazy washes of reverberating guitars and huge crescendos. Rarely do we get dark post rock. Civil Service are here to change this. Dark/// is the companion album to their Light/// album and as such is full of drama, urgency and the darker side of the band. This is a great thing. Opener, An Infant Wave On A Savage Ocean, sets tension levels on high as it meets a red alert warning on the incredible Black Giraffes, a track that would not be out of place on the 28 Days/Weeks/Years soundtrack (delete as applicable) indeed, it’s not a stretch to imagine rage fueled undead creatures giving chase over barren landscapes. The track is intact an ode to the conflict in the Ukraine with real life samples of those suffering the effects of the invasion. When this track was released as a single, the profits went to help charities involved in helping the Ukrainian people. Times are harsh globally right now and this album is pitched perfectly for these days. It’s said that the best art comes from turmoil and uncertainty, as this album rolls on there is definitely something to be said for that.
As the darkwave influenced spluttering synths on These Cities Are Ruins segue into the Cure-esque melancholia of URBNDCY there’s a fractured beauty here that uses the post rock playbook but subverts it into something deeper and more foreboding, with that sharp sense of urgency pounding throughout. The Heurist arrives on reversed guitars and lands on beautifully produced lamenting pianos and swung beats, ushering equally pained guitars later backed by excellently placed electronic beats and an air of tragedy, as if you were walking through the aftermath of a bombing. Which I believe is the intention throughout. Musically this album is a triumph of interpretations of humankind’s brutality and what it leaves behind. Every Beam Of Light Is An Invitation To Death starts as the title suggests with an almost optimistic sounding blend of bright keys and elevating guitars only to turn on you midway with fuzzy power chords and the cold hand of doom. Distraction Tactics then attempts to lighten the mood but those minor keys still loom large. As a musical journey through darkness with post rock and indeed post punk as its vehicles of choice at different times this album is an absolute triumph of musical savvy and intuitive light and shade play. Closing out this opus Civil Service utilises the hearty bellow of Liam Knowles from Hidden Mothers against the drifting shoegazing farewell of Don’t Turn Out The Light. Second vocal guest, Scott Shepard joins to bring a hopeful melodic break in the clouds pointing to an end and new beginning, before Liam joins him in the shadows to end this staggering, emotive, tour de force. No one can accuse Civil Service of playing it safe and Dark/// will surely be getting mentioned in many end of year polls if there’s any justice. This is the sound of a band who set out with a vision and executed it perfectly.
Review by George Miller