La Brea, La Brea

Over the last several years, there have been a growing number of instrumental bands whose musical vision is focused on gorgeous ambient melodies, hypnotic chords, and intense musical progressions. These bands create stories woven not with words, but with the union of instruments that mesh together to sing tales of desire, passion, and sadness. With so many established ambient rock bands already out in the world, novice bands really need to step things up to stay ahead of the curve. Bands like Pennsylvania-based La Brea have to constantly and consistently keep their music groundbreaking, beautiful, and different. Although La Brea hasn’t been around long, it’s already showing a great deal of promise for such a young band. The band’s self-titled release is a surprisingly mature compilation of songs that place an exquisite blend of traditional instrumentation against less organic electronic rhythms. The fusion of sounds results in songs like “Reign of the Idiot God” that ebb and flow through layer upon layer of melodic complexity. Each instrument floats on top of the next, maintaining its unique sound until they all collapse into a vivid, harmonious pile of instrumental fury. La Brea is hope that young musicians have what it takes to move independent music to new heights.