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Written by Michael Morlaine Monday, 23 November 2009 00:36

Along with the basic instrumentation of post-rock, Caspian appears to have inherited the genre’s typical long-windedness.

Bostonian post-rockers Caspian open their third release with a keyboard fade-in reminiscent of the intro to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, a fitting device for a band that flits between the languid textures of those seminal space cadets and the crushing onslaught of post-rock titans Mogwai. Tertia takes its time to establish itself, tempering its strict on-off-on dynamics with dreamy Talk Talk piano chords and tinkling chimes, treating the listener to an abundance of atmosphere, but not a whole lot of momentum. The concept wears a little thin after about half an hour, but Caspian soldiers on; along with the basic instrumentation of post-rock, Caspian appears to have inherited the genre's typical long-windedness. Plodding instrumental rock always brings to mind the words of David Byrne: "Singing is a trick to get people to listen to music for longer than they would ordinarily." B- | Michael Morlaine

RIYL: Explosions in the Sky, Porcupine Tree