Yellow Swans

Harsh beauty, supple poignancy, At All Ends, the third studio album from Portland’s Yellow Swans, is rife with dichotomy; its amorphous sound clusters serve both to soothe and to stimulate. Otherworldly noise crescendos coexist with hypnotic melodies, creating dreamtime symphonies for the hopelessly frantic. These five extended pieces exude a rare sense of graceful power, exemplifying the high-energy interactions of celestial bodies or the chaotic activity at the centre of the Earth. Particularly compelling are the songs that bookend the release. Both the eponymous leadoff track and the epic "Endlessly Making and End of Things” feature rich yet reserved guitar playing from Gabe Saloman, coupled with Pete Swanson’s alluring electronic textures. At All Ends demonstrates the maturation of Yellow Swans from spastic noise pranksters to purveyors of atmosphere and restraint, owners of an ever-expanding palette of sound from which to work.