Long gone are the days where post-rock is a genre that invokes excitement, creativity and boundary demolition. Even Mogwai have moved on beyond their quiet / loud alternations into broader genre splicing. So too have This Will Destroy You, whose earlier material was pivotal in the scene's history, and whose adaptations have helped guide the fragmented subgenres which it spawned.
As we waited for the band to take the stage, the dissonance of Tim Hecker's Virgins cut through the speakers to reset the scene after Meniscus's post-rock-by-numbers performance. This is music that requires your full uninterrupted attention and rewards the listeners patience with its subtle flourishes. You need to get on board. This Will Destroy You aren't worried about writing their pop smash hit.
Rather than relying on the guitar-based climatic builds that share more in common with EDM's drops than most will admit to, This Will Destroy You have adopted a more ethereal approach to song structure which eschews obvious hooks and instead takes the listener on a journey that lasts the entire set. It has more in common with classical music than traditional rock action. Unfortunately the sound engineer became a literal interpreter of Meghan Trainor lyrics for the first couple of songs, the bass overpowering to the point where some notes threatened the integrity of your bowels. Considering This Will Destroy You embrace a full spectrum from teeth itching noise to fragile guitar that can't help but recall their neighbours Explosions In The Sky, the entire set could have been ruined if left unaddressed. We were lucky.
Such is the overwhelming, subtle response that this kind of music induces, you can't help but let your mind wander as a bunch of white dudes noodle on stage with lighting levels low and crowd interaction to the minimum. Though you're not fully conscious of it, the melancholia pushes your thoughts towards the morose and before you know it, you're standing there amongst a bunch of strangers feeling drained and wondering what you've done with your life. Though this may not seem so appealing on paper, it's the drawing of human emotion that makes this so special. Life isn't all chocolate and lollipops, and we sometimes need to embrace the darkness to appreciate what we have. In this sense a This Will Destroy You gig is like some sort of alternate therapy, leaving people teary but euphorically relieved at the other side. They could sell tickets! Wait a second...
This is a band that doesn't run the risk of the audience shouting out hit requests between songs, having such a sonic tapestry where the ordering of what is performed is important. The crowd are respectful and a quick glance confirms that most possess both a penis and a beard, a common demographic for bands of this style. This is not a place for big egos and big personalities, this is a secular monastery of reflection.
As the set drew to a close, the lights came up and we all went our separate ways. On the way home we reflected slightly differently on our lives. The problems from earlier didn't feel as big as they once did. Everything was going to be alright. This Will Destroy You is an uncannily apt name for the group. Sometimes you need to break everything in order to build it again properly. You rebuild to improve, because sometimes patching things up just won't cut it. I need a coffee.
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