2014 has been a great year for music so far. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. While I’m looking forward to new releases later this year, I’m also finding out about albums that went under the radar from earlier in 2014. As hard as I try to listen to all the music that came out, I still miss out on albums. It’s inevitable, and it is true for the band A Troop of Echoes, who released an album titled “The Longest Year on Record” this June.
A Troop of Echoes is an experimental band from Rhode Island, and I was lucky to find out about their new album that came out earlier this year. When I first went on their Bandcamp, the first thing I noted was the enormous amount of instruments that were on this album. The list promised so much, and I have to admit I was a little afraid at first. I didn’t think it would all come together, and I feared it would sound like a ball of noise. Luckily, this is the least bit true, and A Troop of Echoes do an amazing job at combining different genres and instruments alike to make a unique sound that can’t be heard anywhere else.
The unique sound I’m talking about can best be described as post-rock with heavy jazz influence, but that doesn’t even cover it all. The use of the saxophone in this band is definitely a strong point, and it leads most of the songs which is very uncommon for bands considered to be post-rock, which seems to usually be led by guitar. Don’t get me wrong, the guitars still play a big role in the songs, but it seems more to back the saxophone and the combination is wonderful. The drums are very rock influenced and they really bring the songs alive. When I say that this band is something else, I mean it in the best way possible.
The first song off the album, “Manifest and Legion”, is a great introduction to the style of the band as a whole. It almost attacks you with its energy with the guitar and drums, and gives the saxophone a great opportunity to burst out with life. The song goes from being very heavy to relaxing and ambient, and back and forth. By the end of the song, the drums pack a punch with amazing fills, and the transitions from enigmatic and loud to faint and subtle are astonishing. This song incorporates a lot of what this band is about, and it’s a great start to the album.
“Manifest and Legion” plays perfectly into “Small Fires”, which is one of my favorites off the album. It’s very upbeat, and very uplifting. The guitars and drums scream rock n’ roll, while the saxophone screams chaos, especially near the end of the song. These songs are in no way simple, and it takes musicians with a lot of talent to pull off what these guys do. To make a saxophone, as well as other instruments, fit in to the sound they play is impeccable, and at no time does it feel out of place.
Songs like “Arecibo”,”Severna”, and “Constellation” are the more relaxing songs on the album, and the saxophone brings out a very melancholy feel to them. “Arecibo” definitely has a post-rock structure to it, and the screeching guitar that goes with the build-up plays so well with the horns blaring in the background. This song not only features a saxophone, but trumpet as well. “Constellation” has an amazing support of strings to go with it, and the ambient chords the guitar creates definitely stuck out to me. “Constellation” has so many instruments playing at once, yet it all fits so well together. Not only does it fit together, you can hear every instrument on this song as well.
The shorter songs on the album, “Kerosene” and “Broadway Ghost” could be easily looked over since they seem only to be breaks from the craziness that A Troop of Echoes brings to the table on their album, but these songs have just as much thought put into them as the longer ones. I especially love “Kerosene” for the way the strings and the xylophone play off of each other. It has a very unique feel, and the playful melody makes this song stand out, even if it is under three minutes. “Broadway Ghost”, however, is much softer, and the ambient guitar chords in the background support a low and slow saxophone. This song also features a very soothing trumpet that accompanies the sax, and the song goes from slow jazz to rock in a second. The trumpet screams with power, then drops out, which leads into the title track of the album.
“The Longest Year on Record” does a great job at representing the album. It has a nostalgic sound, and overall the song is very heartwarming. This song builds into an amazing foundation of true emotion, and even features female choir vocals that completes the sound. It’s hard to describe, it needs to be heard by the listener to understand the beauty of it, and it certainly lives up to its name as the title track of the album.
The last song, “Pure Alexia” is my personal favorite off the album. After the amount of vitality that “The Longest Year on Record” brings, a break from the mayhem could not come any sooner. Starting off with a soothing piano, this song does just that. The saxophone comes in shortly after, and it’s telling us that the album is coming to an end. The saxophone almost cries out to you, and it’s very peaceful but saddening. This song also features short bursts of female vocals along with strings and plenty of horns, but somehow still stays soft throughout. “Pure Alexia” shows how much control A Troop of Echoes have over their songs and instruments, and they can create any emotion they want with such a wide range of instruments. This is a perfect end to the album, and that’s why I’m so impressed by it.
A Troop of Echoes shows just how much you can do with endless amounts of talent, inspiration, and determination to make music that is unique, and The Longest Year on Record is an experience that cannot be heard from anywhere else. Just look at how many instruments they have featured on their album; from tons of percussion to violin, cello, trumpet, alto and baritone sax, piano, electronics, and even choir vocals. Not only do they make amazing music, they chose a great album cover that represents it. The black and white picture of kids climbing to the top of a wooden roller coaster displays every emotion this album has to offer. It represents the happiness some songs bring, and the nostalgia of the softer songs.
I’ve said all I could say about this band, and all that’s left to do is listen to “The Longest Year on Record”. This album oozes talent, but somehow they only have around 800 likes on Facebook. I know that doesn’t mean much, but a band this good should have much more recognition, especially for the sound they have that stands out from others in their respective genres. You can listen to the album and buy it on their Bandcamp, and please give them a like on Facebook. You can also pre-order the vinyl version of the album, which is arguably the best way to listen to it. Give A Troop of Echoes your time, you won’t regret it.
