Post-rock. The third album from Austin, Texas, band Pompeii, and the first since 2008. This is a lovely album with a mature, rich sound. Every song is epic and cosmic, as post-rock tends to be, but the band also manages to sound human and unpretentious. Seriously, even if you don’t normally like post-rock, I would give this one a try. The sound is rich enough to swim in, and the water is warm. The vocalist has evoked comparisons to Ben Gibbard, I guess somewhat rightfully, but the lyrics are less cliché. This album will put you in a good mood and make you feel like accomplishing something important. Strongly recommended.

Recommended: all, but if I had to choose a few: 4, 6, 9, 10

1) “Loom” (4:17): Great use of strings in the intro, then the guitar crashes in. Feels epic. Orients you to the rest of the album and wakes you up to the fact that Pompeii isn’t defunct.
2) “Celtic Mist” (4:00): Some great instrumental passages. Transitions beautifully into the third track.
3) “So Close” (2:40): Rich background gives this song an intense sense of presence. Everything gets a bit distorted at the end.
4) “Frozen Planet” (4:41): Drums give this song a great sense of focus. Angsty lyrics with a strong post-rock base. Play this into track 5 for a nice twist.
5) “Frozen Reprise” (3:13): A decrescendo from the intensity of track 4. Vocalist takes on an important role.
6) “Blueprint” (3:31): Sounds like a single. Big soundscape drops in right away—big guitars, big drums. Intense.
7) “Rescue” (4:30): Here it’s the guitar that provides the sense of focus. An elegant track.
8) “Ekspedition” (5:29): One of the simpler, more sustained songs on the album. Rich.
9) “Sleeper” (5:41): A sparser post-rock opening. Builds to a breathtaking climax.
10) “Drift” (3:35): Simple in comparison to the sprawling complexity of the previous tracks. This would be lovely on the radio.

--Mr. Tumnus