PELICAN
ATARAXIA/TARAXIS

Having been off the musical radar since 2009’s What We All Come To Need, Chicago’s Pelican burst back into hearts with the grace filled Ataraxia/Taraxis. This four track EP flits between massively weighty bass-heavy tones and sweet uplifting progressions, the instrumental four-piece delving into empty landscapes and hopeful desire. Produced by Sanford Parker (currently playing with Minsk and Twilight amongst many others, as well as having a list of producing credits as long as your arm), Ataraxia/Taraxis is a sublime addition to what has been a fairly prolific career for a band formed only ten or so years ago.

Beginning the EP with the truly momentous “Ataraxia,” Bryan Herweg’s bass fuzzes in and out of space created by a lightly picked acoustic guitar line. A wall of feedback is thrown up gradually, little touches of electronic splendor echoing behind the deft guitar work of Trevor de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. It’s a tad unsettling at first, the strokes conjuring a truly wicked tone. And then we are launched almost immediately into “Lathe Biosas.” Pelican create distinct sections – intriguingly heavy moments consumed with a huge bass sound, stabbing guitar strikes giving an angular feel to proceedings and Larry Herweg’s crashing cymbals filtering through the tides of aural pleasure.

“Parasite Colony” kicks with a deep and doomy atmosphere, that absolutely huge bass seeping through and driving the feeling of utter desolation evoked by the minimal and deserted cover art. Crunching and pulsing with sound this track is the storm before “Taraxis,” the closing track. Almost country-like in it’s swagger the acoustic guitar rears again, seemingly a little more restrained this time around but no less powerful in the emotions rendered. Building to a sludge-filled and ultimately crushing crescendo, electronic guitar forges the way for the final minute or so before crashing out suddenly into silence.

Pelican have created a work of contrast with Ataraxia/Taraxis, they are a band able to dance with delicate structures yet envelope with pure sound. Quite stunning indeed.