Vocals like later Radiohead/Thom Yorke on top of more experimental and varied arrangements. As far as the full story goes, Holy Roman Empire is a Chicago band that was basically formed in 2003 from members of late ‘90s hardcore bands (Stabbed by Words, Rise Against, Killing Tree being some). That would be important to anyone who wanted to cite ‘historical significance’. I don’t know, however, if that would account for the depth and originality of this record. When listening to some of this, I thought that if the Shipping News went acoustic and experimental and whimsical, taking their raw talent to the limit and not being afraid of synths, they might sound like this. Not that their records aren’t excellent, mind you.
It’s all good but start w/ 2, 6, 8, 9, 12. Songs range from 2-4 minutes in length.

1 Whimsical, sincere, bells and acoustic, short
2 Back-masking, sound washes, more acoustic guitar, repetitive delay
3 Waltzy, minimal, violin, a bit like Nat Baldwin, short
4 Makes me think of Cindytalk’s piano arrangements over voices and found sounds
5 Acoustic, elemental almost medieval with sounds of explosions
6 acoustic, eastern sounds, pretty
7 strange, classic use of ‘ba-ba-ba-ba-ba’, ambient use
8 sounds like an orchestra warming up or something like that, really cool, like Legendary Pink Dots’ Asylum or something on 4AD 20 yrs ago or Giacinto Scelsi
9 more washes of sounds, vocals come back, pretty but then the drums come in heading for a climax, layered perfectly
10 interlude, 2m
11 This one makes me think about Xiu Xiu with all manner of weird, deliberate guitar picking, Klezmer-like accordion but far more experimental
12 Starts with drums, waltz, gets involved, then more minimal and finally a second verse, and WOW, the last 30 seconds remind me of a Greta Garbo flick or something
13 strings and guitars, a bit too dense, eastern
14 twisted, treated sounds, similar a bit to early Jon Hassell, more experimental guitar picking
15 vocals on top of music a bit too unfocused