Album Review: A Gaze Among Them by BIG|BRAVE

BIG|BRAVE release their new album A Gaze Among Them on 10^th May via Southern Lord Records. They’re a band that have always explored terrains of experimental rock with a clear focus on the key principles; space, volume, and raw emotion. The essence of BIG|BRAVE’s magic has always been the way they balance these dynamics, and particularly how much sheer power comes from the beautifully quiet moments.

The same principles are the starting point for the new album, only the approach is different, beginning with the question “How do we take very little and make something bigger than what we actually have?” vocalist and guitarist Robin Wattie explains further “the biggest challenge was to not do what is easiest. i.e. what we knew worked for the last albums or what is, for us, easy to write. With A Gaze Among Them, Mathieu and I put ourselves through the ringer – I did not want to do what seemed to me to be a ‘logical next step’ in what we could do musically. I wanted to go back to our original concepts and work from there – space, tension, minimalism and voice (finding melody and musicality in pieces that consist of one note for longer than ten minutes, for example) were the primary concentrations I wanted to push.”

It’s an album that twists the band’s initial intentions, it’s explosively heavy while being beautifully minimal; it’s cathartic and sonically expansive. It’s a sound you can’t pigeonhole rather you just have to experience it – take it in, live it. While there’s the core members, BIG|BRAVE aren’t afraid to get their friends in to help, the record features Robin Wattie (vocals, electric guitar, guitar amp, bass amp), Mathieu Ball (electric guitar, guitar amps) and Loel Campbell (drums) with guest appearances from Thierry Amar (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt Zion) on Contrabass and Seth Manchester’s synth overdubs. The album was recorded with Seth Manchester at Machine with Magnets in Pawtucket Rhode Island.

Don’t be fooled by the album having 5 tracks, this verges on an opus and clocks it at just shy of 40 minutes. Openers ‘Muted Shifting of Space’ and ‘Holding Pattern’ are gradual beasts, on first listen they mightn’t have the biggest impact, but as you become acquainted with them, they weave their way into your sub consciousness and firm favourites. The latter especially with its minimal heaviness. ‘Body Individual’ needs experienced to be believed – it’s so diverse – taking in post metal, ambient and crushing noise riffs. Closer ‘Sibling’ has space-age doom feel, let those synths wash over you.

AD Rating 7/10