The Soundtrack Of Our Lives – Communion

Not my favourite album but a pretty good pressing, Sounds pretty good to me.

The Soundtrack Of Our Lives have a new album called “Communion” and I want to begin with ... no, let me start with ... oh man, what I really want to talk about is ... and then there’s this! OK, let me slow down and say that “Communion” is a double album, a bold adventure for any artist today, as everyone is ready to pounce on double discs, weary that the length simply means too much filler, and not enough substance. Though the answer to that question is going to ultimately rest with you.

What I will tell you is that one of the best aspects of The Soundtrack Of Our Lives is their ability to freshly build on the psychedelic, and classic rock essentials that have carried them so far, allowing them to create music that sounds both old and new within the same breath. Soundtrack are brilliantly able to venture into the realm of progressive rock as well, though they have the uncanny ability to create a progressive album within the structure of a single song.

“Communion” is an odd mix of musical ideas, and while the release may not have a readily definable plot or concept, the concept itself may be so deeply woven, that one needs to stand back and view “Communion” from a distance, rather than expecting it’s message to jump right out at you. Loosely, one may consider that there’s a single song for every hour of the day, or perhaps one disc for daytime listening and one for night, though in a more general aspect, one may see “Communion” as a meditation on the state of the world ... right now, at this very moment. And that brings us to the most conceptual stunning aspect of all ... while not all of the songs are outright winners, nor are any of the songs stinkers; they all just exist within an undefinable structure, and can be played in any order without loss of that construct. Soundtrack does all of this without sounding labored, over processed, or over thought ... which in effect reflects the fact that they’ve certainly thought this baby completely through from beginning to end, after all it’s the most simple of things that are the most demanding. Just take the Nick Drake song “Fly,” Soundtrack have done a double entendre, incorporating both irony and cynicism, but with such a genuine joy that I actually had to listen to the original song by Nick Drake to make sure I was hearing what I was hearing. I suppose the best way of describing what Soundtrack do here, is to say that it’s very akin to what The Byrds had done with Dylan material back in the 60’s. And they manage this balancing act over and over again, leaving you with a feeling of readiness for the next song, without the previous number still echoing in your head.

The second disc is every bit as good as the first, though it’s slightly more gentle, and mindful. To Soundtrack’s credit, they do something that perhaps a mere handful of bands have been able to accomplish, and that's to bring the listener in, making them part of the process, thus being able to lessen the need for a dynamic musical climax ... Soundtrack simply and eloquently slightly build, leaving you to wait for what never happens, but sure that when the album is over, that that musical climax has indeed taken place. And it’s that aspect that's left me standing here feeling satisfied, complete, and fulfilled without feeling that I’ve been rolled over, wrung out, and left to dry.

Review by Jenell Kesler