LABLE: The Gaia Project

If you look at yourself in the mirror, you're not supposed to immediately forget what you look like as soon as you look away. But yet, listening to Glider is something like that. Glider's sound is so mind-numbingly soothing that while I was listening to this on the highway, I missed the exit for my school, and I drive that route every single day. This beautifully orchestrated, melancholy indie music gets inside my head, takes over my mood, and refuses to let go. But once I stop listening to Glider, it's tough to remember what exactly has just happened. I know I like it, but I can't remember which song is which or what I especially like about it.

That's due in part to the fact that most of these songs fall under the genre of instrumental indie rock, bordering on ambient. The drums create more energy than an ambient band could handle, which is why I'm not assigning that title to it, but Glider comes extremely close a lot of the time to being in the most droning of all genres. There are occasionally vocals, but their morose, overbearing tone does little more than become another melancholy instrument, as on "Over the Ocean".

The guitars here are the main focus. In having switched drummers nine times during the recording of this album, the drums don't really interact with the bass and guitars any more than is necessary. It's the smooth, flowing, gliding interactions between the guitar, bass, and auxiliary instruments (occasional piano, guitar effects, etc.) that make this album as powerful as it is. Most of the time there's a large reverb effect on the guitar, contributing a soupy, underwater feel to the album. The bass is pulsating and fluid, lending a sense of direction to the sound.

Thanks to the fact that there are a minimum of vocals and lyrics, distinguishing between tracks is rather useless. It feels like one big song, and in effect, it is. It's one big, moody experience, and while you're listening to it, it's quite amazing. It's just hard to wrap my mind around it when I'm not actively listening to it. That's alright, it gives me an excuse to keep listening to this album over and over again.

I really, really like Glider's sound. The musicians have cultivated a very distinct mood and carried it all the way through One Day at a Time, which is an enviable characteristic. Just remember to listen to the album all the way through, and never while driving late at night. That could be hazardous to your health.

今年很喜欢的一张。

/!Daily/20061108/[TGP007]Glider-2006-One Day at a time/