Mono

One of the most surreal concert experiences was having the audience shout requests for their favourite songs at a GY!BE show, knowing full well any song would be ten-plus minutes of slow, intricate post-rock. Post-rock, with its subtle shifts and swelling emotions, doesn't lend itself to the single song format, no matter the length. No one understands that better than uber-serious musicians Mono, who have dared to craft an "album" in the time of iPod-dominated singles. Following the pattern of the awesome You Are There, Mono draft a large array of strings and lush instrumentation to lend an even greater epic sweep to their songs, or should I say journeys. While this doesn't have as many stereo-melting moments as earlier albums, the measured and classical pace definitely helps tell the album's story, from death to the afterlife. So, suck it up and listen to this album from start to finish. To do otherwise would be to miss the purpose and magnitude that Mono strive for and often attain.