MP3: Ef - Appendix
A nice bonus from having done this site for so long (5½ years and counting!) is that I get to watch bands grow over the years, keeping track of them as they hone their sound and figure out what they want to do. I didn't really care much for Ef at the demo stage - their music was far too busy and unfocused - but their proper debut full-length "Give me beauty... or give me death!" was a huge step in the right direction. Less focus on riffs, more emphasis on composition and songwriting, not to mention a better feel for atmosphere. The new album "I am responsible" takes things further by demonstrating new-found patience and restraint, two traits that were definitely missing from their earliest material. By holding back, they imbue the music with far more drama and I think that's most evident on the track "Appendix". Lots of long, suspended notes; a steady build. The spoken vocals remind me a bit of emo act Indian Summer more than standard postrock flair, but I think that's a good thing. I am typically all about the big, crashing loud part that so often comes at the end of a song like this, but by avoiding that cliché, they've created something with more of their own distinct personality. Nicely done!
Ef - Appendix