Heron - 'Drop' (Single)

Pennsylvania Post-Rock outfit Heron reveal majestic new instrumental single, 'Drop' taken from their debut album, 'You Are Here Now'.
Sure, instrumental music such as post-rock isn’t for everyone. However, I’ll nail my colours to the mast straight away and argue that post-rock is a genre that can engulf a listener in musical brilliance as much as any other. Although the tricks of ethereal fragility, crushing crescendo and waves of noise are a reoccurring theme, when done well such intertwining musicality continues to yield stunning result. Mind you, approaching a review for Heron’s 11-minute track ‘Drop’ did pose a number of question - can this hold my interest? Will this take me on one of those ever-so satisfying musical journeys? Or will it leave me to file under ‘generic post-rock disappointment’?

Luckily for me, Heron seem to be something rather special. Rather than picking apart the myriad of reverb-soaked sections too much, it's perhaps easier to focus on the overall feel of ‘Drop’. Possessing a vibe of utter positivity, segments blend into each other to provide an ever-shifting flow of beauty. While it’s a more even keel in terms of dynamics than your standard post-rock fare, this approach enables ‘Drop’ to flow gracefully, with the subtle shifts to heavier elements feeling a natural progression rather than unnecessarily forced. Perhaps such patience helps prevent any danger of listener fatigue. Indeed I was surprised to glance down, feeling like I was nowhere near through, and note the nine-minute mark showing up. Culminating in a majestic ending that never threatens to over-elaborate, it's even more rewarding that the moods invoked fail to dampen after repeated spins.

As a showcase for Heron’s January 2017 debut album release ‘You Are Here Now’, ‘Drop’ is a pretty exquisite experience. Added to ‘essential listening’ for the up-coming months.

Words of DS_convertible