If These Trees Could Talk

Akron's If These Trees Could Talk eschews post-rock's tendency toward roller-coaster dynamics -- as well as the slide-rule intricacy of math rock's post-punk wing -- for the moody majesty of June of 44. (Kent's Six Parts Seven also comes to mind.) While there are passages propelled by the frothy churn of loud/soft counterpoints -- as in parts of "The Friscalating Dusklight" -- the music's power is a product of the wonderful three-guitar interplay. But this isn't so much about chords as it is the jutting, slashing, slithering single-note intersections, whose combinations drive the melody as well as lending this music an oceanic quality.

Tracks such as "Signal Tree" work a hypnotic thrum, while the psychedelic "41°4'23n, -81°31'4w," in a surprisingly economical three and a half minutes, billows and swoons like the Smashing Pumpkins. This is one of ITTCT's finest traits: Songs don't overstay their welcome; instead, they work out their idea and move along with minimal wankery.

by Chris Parker
Cleveland Scene Magazine
- Cleveland Scene Magazine

Aug 30, 2006

Like the Six Parts Seven, another area group known for its rock soundscapes, Akron's If These Trees Could Talk proves in its self-titled six-song debut that you don't need vocals to ooze emotion. In fact, lyrics would only get in the way of the Trees' dense, flowing sound. This album emotes like Explosions in the Sky, rocks like Tool, and breaks and builds like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The crystal-clear production and flawless musical performances make this a local instrumental album that stands high above the mire.

By Joe Minadeo

http://www.clevescene.com/Issues/2006-08-30/music/rbeat3.html - Cleveland Scene Magazine

Aug 25, 2006

In the tradition of Decoy’s never-ending love for post-rock and Explosions in the Sky – winners of our first Post-Rock Tournament – we proudly present to you If These Trees Could Talk. With obvious similarities to EITS, ITTCT has a certain heaviness not found in EITS, but at the same time, not as heavy – but with some similarity – as Pelican. As post-rock and post-metal’s popularity continues to grow, it’s hard to weed out the typical from the good because frankly, the margin can be very narrow. However, ITTCT is anything but typical. Sure, they wear their influences on their sleeves, but this Akron, Ohio act is a sonically sound addition to the growing genres. Transfixing, paranoid, agitated, bursting, and revitalizing are just some of the words you could use to describe ITTCT’s self-titled, six-song, 32-minute debut EP through Procedure Records.

http://decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15751 - Decoymusic.com

The mutterings of superflora isn't a subject oft-explored by instrumental bands, but If These Trees Could Talk, out of the forested Akron, Ohio, have added ritalin, steroids and Red Bull to the seedlings of some conifers, and laughed maniacally as their monster grew into a guitar-playing psychotic genius. This release shows how instrumental guitar rock need not be a dirge, but an exciting, groovy, and occasionally softening affair.

If These Trees Could Talk takes a fairly continuous sequence, a 6 part song if anything, with each section bookended by washes of ambience. This structure is one of the better choices on this album, and considering the magnificence of the music itself, this is saying something. Every element on this album is enhanced by the force that drives right from the release's beginning, to its conclusion. If there was an issue, it would be that the release stops quite abruptly, without stopping the momentum behind the final musical idea. The feeling that is gathered from this, could best be expressed as "GIVE ME A FULL ALBUM". And when ITTCT delivers this, oh boy, they're going to put wide smiles on many faces.

If These Trees Could Talk have an astonishing handle on how to go about presenting instrumental music correctly, with a sense of a voice in instrumental lines, tasteful use of distortion and technically proficient playing. Repetition and delay on this release is used far more effectively than the vast majority of instrumental bands. It would be conceivable to call them a math rock band with soul and or a post-rock band with an ability to play musical instruments properly. Contrasts between distortion and clean sounds are exploited throughout the piece, particularly in "Signal Hill," and this adds to the frenetic dynamic of the band. Three guitar lines sweep through and around each other supported by the outrageous grooves of the rhythm section. It is traditional post-rock dynamics, taking after Slint's Spiderland, but sped up, and given a Don Caballero-esque dosage of repeatrepeatrepeat. The end result of this rock minimalism feast, unsurprisingly, is highly arousing.

Another asset of If These Trees Could Talk is their ability to pull off musical ideas with a succinctness that is so lacking in many other instrumental acts. The band works at a pace which leaves Sparrows Swarm and Sing and other such acts flailing their stringed instruments in the dust. Quite simply, the music is breathtaking, near-flawless and tight. You can tell this band hasn't had many babies. They've got it ALL, packed into a neat, bite size package. Just slam the physical equivalent to their music on a centrefold spread and they'll make millions. You just wait until their supertree grows to its full potential.

-Marcus Whale

http://www.thesilentballet.com/reviews/ifthesetreescouldtalk.html - The Silent Ballet

October 3rd, 2006

Akron, Ohio's If These Trees Could Talk are probably the biggest musical surprise I've come across this year. Their self-titled, self-released EP provides an almost trance-inducing collection of metallic-tinged instrumentals that might induce an out-of-body experience if listened to under the right conditions.
Beginning with "Malabar Front," the CD launches into an 8 minute trip of simultaneous melancholia and riffage that is tailor-made for headphones. (Actually, the whole CD is perfect for headphones, but I'd say that it's the best track of the six included songs for the "experience.")

The band is powered by three guitarists who provide some incredibly nuanced playing. For a completely instrumental release, the CD is pleasantly devoid of needless guitar wanking. Each song is comprised of obviously technical playing but it's done in a way that benefits the song at hand rather than existing to self-promote the ability of any one musician.

The production on If These Trees Could Talk is amazing for a self-recorded, self-released disc. If a major label were to release a disc of this quality, production-wise, no one would guess it was done by the band themselves.

The only real problem with the album, as a whole, is that the songs tend to blend directly into one another a bit too much and, after a few listens, begin to sound a bit too similar. If the songs and performances weren't as strong as they are, that would really hamper the enjoyment. Thankfully, taken individually, each song is mammothly powerful and expressive even without vocals or lyrics. For a young band on its first release, that's an enormous achievement.

If you're a fan of Tool's instrumental jams, I highly recommend If These Trees Could Talk. In all honesty, I'm enjoying it more than 10,000 Days.

http://www.media-assault.com/musicreviews/iftreescouldtalkreview.shtml - Media-assault.com

Jak se již zmi?oval zputnik v diskusi u kapely, první album If These Trees Could Talk je velké p?ekvapení ke konci tohoto roku. Tahle p?tice z amerického státu Ohio pochopila, že pomalejších instrumentálních desek je všude kolem velká spousta a postupn? ztrácejí na originalit? a všechny zn?jí tak n?jak stejn?. Proto p?itvrdili a dodali své hudb? neoby?ejné kouzlo.

Z kapel, které podle samotných ?len? mají na jejich hudbu nejv?tší vliv, bych vypíchnul p?edevším proklamované Explosions in the Sky, Isis a Red Sparowes. Od texaských Explosions in the Sky p?ebírají dob?e sehranou kombinaci t?í kytarových aparát?, od Isis p?edevším ždímající tvrdé pasáže p?edevším ve stylu skladeb z Panopticon a od Red Sparowes si berou syrovost a industriálnost skladeb. Vše samoz?ejm? obalené svými nápady. Navíc je zde možná p?ekvapiv? také cítit vliv n?kterých tvrdších math-rockových skupin typu Don Caballero p?edevším kv?li technice hraní.

Na jejich stejnojmenném a vlastnoru?n? vydaném albu dokázali narozdíl od n?kterých nudících souputník? velmi efektivn? využít všemožné efekty (delay, distortion) tolik typické pro post-rock. Proto to p?sobí daleko p?irozen?ji. Hned první skladba Malabar Front, otevírající p?lhodinovou emo?ní jízdu, to dokazuje. Nejv?tší síla Malabaru a všech dalších skladeb je v t?ch nejtvrdších pasážích, p?i kterých mám neodvratnou chu? sko?it z obrovského útesu do chladných vod oceánu a nechat se ovládat vlnami, což jsem p?esn? poci?oval p?i poslechu již zmi?ovaného Panopticonu od Isis. I klidn?jší pasáže jsou znateln? dynamické a energické a nic zbyte?n? nenatahují. "Pro nás je sekvence skladeb na disku mnohem více jako plynulá hudební myšlenka než 6 rozdílných skladeb. P?idání nového materiálu by pravd?podobn? pocit z poslechu narušilo" tvrdí kytarista Jeff. S tím se nedá než souhlasit. Ve druhé skladb? Smoke Stacks m? p?ekvapují p?echody mezi pomalejšími ?ástmi k údernických 'refrén?m' a naopak, které za?nou jako úderem obrovského kladiva, ale skon?í plynulým p?echodem.

Na záv?r me nenapadá nic víc, než shrnout pocity - skv?le technický sehrané, emocemi nabité (i p?i absenci vokál?), energické a vzhledem k diy výrob? cd také kvalitn? nahrané. Jsem zv?davý, co p?edvedou na dalších nahrávkách, kdy už to nebude mladá vybuchující sopka nápad?...
Recenze ze dne: 14.12.2006

Hodnocení: 9

http://www.post-rock.cz/Recenze.aspx?form=detail&id=9 - Postrock.cz

O tomto velkém p?ekvapení jsem se podrobn?ji zmínil již v recenzi. Post-metalové vlivy Red Sparowes a Isis a technická zdatnost Don Caballero jsou zna?n? cítit, avšak vlastní nápady jsou k nezaplacení a to muzikanti z Ohia dob?e v?dí. Každá skladba má v sob? silný emo?ní náboj a pr?bojn? se valí dop?edu jako obrovská mo?ská vlna. Agresivní ?ást Smoke Stacks je jako št?pení jádra atomu obrovským lisovacím strojem. Post-rock jde dop?edu a upadá s tím, zda je n?kdo stále schopen p?icházet s n??ím novým. A díky kapelám jako If These Trees Could Talk má zatím stále kam jít. Zatím.

http://www.post-rock.cz/Clanky.aspx?form=detail&id=18
- post-rock.cz

Ohio has long been known as a source of wonderful instrumental music: Six Parts Seven, Silencio, and Mortimur, just to name a few, but people often overlook the fact that these bands develop independently of the rest of the country's instrumental bands. Six Parts Seven is one of the landmark instrumental bands in the US and Silencio was/is so unique that it's scary. If These Trees Could Talk happily joins the ranks amongst their buckeye bretheren. Although their debut EP follows the HydraHead and Neurot school of thought, it's fair to say it's not a direct result as much as they share common influences: Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and other progressively minded rock bands. If These Trees Could Talk is certainly a rock album, although the use of reverb and delay make the music very amicable to fans of "post-rock" music. The band's potential is just as large as its appeal -- with a solid foundation to build upon, If These Trees Could Talk was a variety of viable options for its next record.

Second Opinion: If These Trees Could Talk have an astonishing handle on how to go about presenting instrumental music correctly, with a sense of a voice in instrumental lines, tasteful use of distortion and technically proficient playing. Repetition and delay on this release is used far more effectively than the vast majority of instrumental bands. It would be conceivable to call them a math rock band with soul and or a post-rock band with an ability to play musical instruments properly.
-Marcus Whale

http://www.thesilentballet.com/tsbt/2006/2.html - The Silent Ballet.com