Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra
Released by Constellation
Thee Silver Mt. Zion’s latest album Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything is the band’s most focused and accessible release.
The band began as an offshoot to the now famous Canadian post-rock group Godspeed You! Black Emperor and now has a sizeable catalogue of its own.
Thee Silver Mt. Zion distinguish themselves from Godspeed with the addition of vocals. Their songs follow a more traditional rock structure than Godspeed with their longest clocking in at just over 11 and a half minutes. While this may seem long when compared to the normal four-minute radio tune, it is only about half the length of songs on previous albums.
The six tracks are split up clearly with spoken samples introducing the first and last track of the album. The album tackles artistic and personal integrity in the 21st century. While previous records tend to have broader political themes, this album is much more personal. The politics are still there but they are more integrated within the lived experience of the artists.
There has been talk that the band’s shift to more personal themes was caused by members of the group recently becoming parents, but it is impossible to know if this is entirely true. Still, it is undeniable that the shift remains.
Singer Efrim Menuck’s child opens the album with the words “we live on an island called Montreal and we make music because we love each other.”
The theme of love and hope is a constant undercurrent throughout all six songs, especially in the track “Little Ones Run.”
But the lyrics are sometimes bleak and futureless, with visions of a post-consumer apocalypse. The album is a warning against these dystopias and is looking for light in the darkest corners.
The album’s use of dynamics and ability to create cacophony is impressive. The songs build so slowly that they nearly cross into the realm of drone. The band knows exactly how to get the most of each instrument while not falling apart.
Menuck’s voice, in other bands, would be considered atrocious due to the awkward delivery and missed notes. But instead it complements Thee Silver Mt. Zion’s earnestness and their purposeful opposition to standard art and ways of life. The sound enhances and supports what is being said and ends up being cohesive and pleasurable.
Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything is by far the most accessible release by Thee Silver Mt. Zion. It is also their strongest. The sound is cohesive and shows the growth of the band. If you have even a passing interest in post-rock, experimental music, or unconventional politics, this is an album for you.
