Driving Slow Motion - Arda (2019)

Unleashing one of the most disarming and lush Post-Rock releases, today we have Texas outfit Driving Slow Motion and their debut full-length release “Arda”. Featuring 10 tracks and around 42 minutes of instrumental music, this band delivers lush soundscapes similar to outfits like EF, Tides From Nebula and Mono. Filled with quality and engaging music, this debut release is one of the best Post-Rock albums to drop in 2019, so be sure to not miss out on it.

The album sets a very somber and yet optimistic mood with the moody opener “Far from Home”. We particularly love how cinematic and otherworldly the atmosphere is crafted as songs like “The Way the World Was” and “In Exchange for a Memory” roll in. The band’s ability to slowly build into cathartic moments is just brilliant, with a crescendo of weeping guitars and crafty percussions.

We particularly enjoy tracks like “Of The Sea” and “Laurelin”, which are very typical of the genre, but they always engage the listener in discovering on the song progresses and what kind of extra elements are added to make it a magical journey. The guitar work in this release is perfectly crafted to convey emotions and allow tracks to slowly develop into lush masterpieces like the magical “All I See Are Stars” and the more experimental “Shadow & Flame”.

Closing with the dramatic “The Dawn Voyage”, we feel like we came furl circle with a very moody song that carefully eases out the listener from the hypnotic trance induced by “Arda”. For a debut release, Driving Slow Motion has managed to deliver one hell of an album that is both engaging and captivating. If you are a fan of the genre, this is definitely one of the most promising bands we have heard in quite a while, so don’t pass on them.

Label: Self-Released

Release: June 7th, 2019

Genre: Post-Rock

Country: USA