Reserve de Marche/The Last Twenty Years

Russia’s Reserve de Marche take some post rock cadence, progressive twists, and sludgy/metal punch, and offer up their full length, The Last Twenty Years. That sounds like a recipe for excess, but there are some atmospheric whiffs and side tracks that keep things nimble when they need to be. It’s an interesting hybrid of styles and purpose, that works more often than not. The punchier, metal tinged side of things are distracting when not assimilated into the brew, like on opener Calorie, where they sound like an afterthought. To these ears, it’s cargo that could be jettisoned in most places without taking anything away from the instrumental runs, in power or interest. Where it does work is on the standout Stephan’s Dream, where the drive is tightly woven into the song, adding some backbone without being showy. Song for Hedgehog and Frozen Time are more elusive, veering into some minor shoegaze pop touches and drama that make them both jump out, and higher.

Stephan’s Dream :: Reserve de Marche :: The Last Twenty Years (2012, Reserve de Marche)

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