The Appleseed Cast
Illumination Ritual
Graveface Records
Street: 04.23
The Appleseed Cast = The Promise Ring + American Football
Illumination Ritual makes for great driving music. Not in the way The Band or Old Crow Medicine Show are good for killing miles, but for its ability to be blasted or left low in the background. Christopher Crisci’s atmospheric, nearly instrumental compositions have pastel guitar tones with subdued vocals. I’ve never been able to classify The Appleseed Cast, but I’d say they lie in the folds of indie rock, post-hardcore, emo and shoegaze with intricate time signatures coupled with drums in the forefront. Illumination Ritual is another great album in a series of great albums. Illumination Ritual is not as encompassing as Low Level Owl, though it is as engrossing—if not more so—as The End of the Ring Wars. I was addicted to this album by the end of my first listen, particularly to the songs “Cathedral Rings” and “30 Degrees 3AM.” If you haven’t heard these guys before and are a fan of Sunny Day Real Estate, I suggest you pick this up. (Urban Lounge: 05.09)