Heaven And

Heaven And want to take you higher, but in the end just aren't transcendental enough. They've got all the goods on paper; they're a super-group, of sorts, containing drummer Tony Buck (the Necks) and guitarist Martin Siewert. Unfortunately, the disc comes off as more of a jam than a major innovation. It is largely a post-rock record, with dull bass ostinatos throughout providing the underlying pulse against which two drummers respond. Siewert gets a first-among-equals role. He's front and centre with whatever he wants to do on guitar, frequently creating tense washes or over-egged slide stylings. There is a decent amount of tonal variation and evolution throughout, but dull rock clichés fail to prod the grooves beyond an atmospheric shuffle. The last two tracks are alternately quite spacious and almost funky, and are worth sticking around for.