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9 out of 10
Whilst this record is many things, there are also a lot of things that it is not. It is not for everybody. It is not easy to listen to. It is not comfortable music. It is a challenging, multifaceted album, deceptively simple and almost hypnotically beautiful.
The best way to listen to Glissando is undoubtedly in a darkened room, with a big, big pair of headphones blocking out any background noise, and maybe a curtain swaying in the background. With Our Arms Wide Open. is, in places, almost like the musical equivalent of Citizen Kane - track 3 "Floods" for me always brings to mind for me the famous "Rosebud" moment in that film. The whole album is very cinematic in scope, kind of like a soundtrack to a film you can't quite imagine, but really want to see.
With Our Arms Wide Open. Is not a lush, soaring orchestral album. It is not like Explosions in the Sky or even Mogwai. A closer comparison would be Low, I suppose, but that doesn't really do Glissando justice - they really are unique. Edgy, mutating motifs make up most of the songs, with a variety of instruments used throughout, complimented perfectly by Elly May's soft, fragile vocals.
I hesitate to describe Glissando as minimalist, as although there is often little going on on the surface, more attentive listening reveals much more than meets the ear. It really is essential to listen to this through a good pair of headphones or speakers, playing the tracks on myspace through a laptop really isn't the same. Lock your door, turn the lights off, light some candles if you're that way inclined and lose yourself as the waves of sound wash over you.
Listen: www.myspace.com/glissando
Tracklist:
1. We Are Depleting
2. With a Kiss and a Tear
3. Floods
4. White Silence and the Fragile Reality
5. Goodbye Red Rose! This Was Not For You
6. Like Everything You See
7. Always the Storm
8. Grekken
9. Our Flags Wave and Our Arms Are Around Another's Shoulders
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