Ancestors

One can't fault Ancestors for desiring to switch things up on Invisible White; the band's willingness to deescalate the intensity of their sound away from the heavy, progressive sludginess of earlier records towards a psychedelic realm is encouraging. The opening track off this EP leads one to believe in the promise of the new landscape this L.A. group have dreamed up, with haunting female vocals, acoustic piano and violin all gracing the track before the three-minute mark. Unfortunately, the band's mastery of their new, more subdued dynamic doesn't carry through the rest of the record. "Dust" possesses the same solemn weight as the title track, causing the record to develop a dragging sensation that continues through 14-minute closer "Epilogue," an instrumental propelled exclusively via its Pink Floyd-style guitar explorations. What happened to all those layers and ambience of the first track? Hopefully a full-length release will allow the band to correct the imbalance.