Tortoise

Well Tortoise are back and sounding particularly Tortoise-like, still dubbin', still bending jazz with beat, but there's a nice bit of hard edge that underlies Beacons of Ancestorship. From the first track and popping up several other places in the album, the synth tones are dirtier than they have been in the past. This new emphasis on harsh synth mixes with their usual blend of terse rhythm and tight structure to keep Tortoise from completely sinking away with the remnants of post-rock. Not that that's ever really been a concern for the veteran combo. They've always seemed to elevate themselves above the connotations of the genre they were pinned to. When they slow the tempos the band taps into a sense of cinematic scope, revealing an emphasis on emotion that has always kept Tortoise in the heart as much as in the head. Beacons is as much in line with Tortoise's past as it is in keeping eyes on progression. Definitely no slight on their rather pristine catalog.

Download:
[MP3] Tortoise - High Class Slim Came Floatin' In
[MP3] Tortoise - Prepare Your Coffin

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