Band : Hands
Album : Give Me Rest
Release Year : 2011
Genre : Hardcore | Ambient | Post-Metal | Experimental
Tracklist :
1. I Will
2. Water
3. Cube
4. The Helix
5. Here I Am
6. Jovian
7. Northern Lights
8. 2005
9. Restart
10. Give Me Rest
Hands is a group much more interested in marrying sonic extremes – such as post-rock’s muscular riffing and ambient music’s sparse soundscapes – than settling for monotonous middle ground and because of this the trio captures the push and pull of conflict effortlessly. With a gloomy bassline, “Here I Am” starts slowly and finds a desperate Ochsner wrenching his singing voice above a subdued melody pleading and begging for God to open his eyes and awaken his dormant soul. “Restart,” on the other hand, explodes with charging guitars and the screamed lyrics of “I can feel my heart giving in/to the weight of your design/and like a remedy/you are fixing me/while the world has left me blind.” What comes after this outburst is just short of breathtaking as the trio settles into a shimmering verse that is borderline Futures-era Jimmy Eat World with its touching tune before the piece rises again to its anthemic, screamed refrain. “Restart” can only be regarded as a frustrated, spiritually exhausted worship song and a gorgeous one at that, sure to pull on the heartstrings of listeners while transcending religious views. This happens to be the true beauty of Give Me Rest as this is an album that will make listeners think as much as feel.
On a whole, the record’s only downfall is the nonchalant “Water.” Although other selections on Give Me Rest admittedly take a few spins to reveal their nuances, the aforementioned track – featuring guest vocals from A Hope for Home’s Nathan Winchell – never leaves a memorable impression. Fortunately for fans of the band, “Water” is the only forgettable track of the set as Give Me Rest gradually improves as the pieces pass by.
It should not come as a surprise that Give Me Rest is as emotionally arresting as the record is. Merely tuning into the passionate performance of Ochsner is evidence alone. Coupling the towering menace of post-rock and the reserved splendor of ambient touches with such a narrator only intensifies matters, awarding the ten compositions here a rare dramatic flair. Not only then is it convenient that Hands is willing to challenge matters of faith, mortality and mere existence, it seems rather appropriate. Give Me Rest is an album that melds the harsh with the heavenly, daring the curious to question their place amongst the stars, while providing the light of passionate, heartfelt music to illuminate their way.
2. Water
3. Cube
4. The Helix
5. Here I Am
6. Jovian
7. Northern Lights
8. 2005
9. Restart
10. Give Me Rest
Hands is a group much more interested in marrying sonic extremes – such as post-rock’s muscular riffing and ambient music’s sparse soundscapes – than settling for monotonous middle ground and because of this the trio captures the push and pull of conflict effortlessly. With a gloomy bassline, “Here I Am” starts slowly and finds a desperate Ochsner wrenching his singing voice above a subdued melody pleading and begging for God to open his eyes and awaken his dormant soul. “Restart,” on the other hand, explodes with charging guitars and the screamed lyrics of “I can feel my heart giving in/to the weight of your design/and like a remedy/you are fixing me/while the world has left me blind.” What comes after this outburst is just short of breathtaking as the trio settles into a shimmering verse that is borderline Futures-era Jimmy Eat World with its touching tune before the piece rises again to its anthemic, screamed refrain. “Restart” can only be regarded as a frustrated, spiritually exhausted worship song and a gorgeous one at that, sure to pull on the heartstrings of listeners while transcending religious views. This happens to be the true beauty of Give Me Rest as this is an album that will make listeners think as much as feel.
On a whole, the record’s only downfall is the nonchalant “Water.” Although other selections on Give Me Rest admittedly take a few spins to reveal their nuances, the aforementioned track – featuring guest vocals from A Hope for Home’s Nathan Winchell – never leaves a memorable impression. Fortunately for fans of the band, “Water” is the only forgettable track of the set as Give Me Rest gradually improves as the pieces pass by.
It should not come as a surprise that Give Me Rest is as emotionally arresting as the record is. Merely tuning into the passionate performance of Ochsner is evidence alone. Coupling the towering menace of post-rock and the reserved splendor of ambient touches with such a narrator only intensifies matters, awarding the ten compositions here a rare dramatic flair. Not only then is it convenient that Hands is willing to challenge matters of faith, mortality and mere existence, it seems rather appropriate. Give Me Rest is an album that melds the harsh with the heavenly, daring the curious to question their place amongst the stars, while providing the light of passionate, heartfelt music to illuminate their way.
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