It’s not every day that I get to advocate for a local band. If These Trees Could Talk hails from my hometown of Akron, Ohio, and they have become one of the premier post-rock bands out there, at least from my perspective. Their new album The Hidden Hand is quite good, and gets better with each listen. It released on July 10th.
The band has been consistent at not releasing albums very consistently, if you know what I mean. I first heard them with 2012’s Red Forest, a bonafide classic of the genre. Since then, they’ve only released one other album, 2016’s excellent The Bones of a Dying World. Ten years later, they’re back. The lineup is Tom Fihe on bass; Jeff Kalal, Mike Socrates (Artificial Astronaut, Brave Arrows), and Cody Kelly on guitars; and Zack Kelly on drums.
The band plays a soaring, emotional post-rock. You won’t hear as many crescendos as you’d hear in other bands of the genre, instead you’ll hear loud/quiet dynamics, ambience giving way to surging light, and careful precision in guitar phrasing. That’s one of my favorite aspects of their music: the guitarwork is so conversational, like a dialogue of abstract emotions and whimsical space. I also love Zack’s drumming, which is often off-tempo for dramatic effect and adds such a brilliant layer to the music.
The Hidden Hand is one of those records in which you discover new things each time you hear it. It’s an all-around great offering, complete with some classic sounds from the band’s past, but also a two-part song and some shorter, sassier pieces. It lasts about 40 minutes, so you’ll find yourself restarting it immediately quite often.
In the first half, the band really sets the pace. The opener “Archons” is most a subtly cinematic intro, but for some reason, I absolutely love the tone and sense of anticipation. It leads directly into “Moon Machine”, an eight-minute piece with presence that winds and weaves through sparks and shadows. It has such character. “Sea of Glass” follows and features some fiery and sublime guitar layers that make you feel like you’re entering another world.
I’ll have to admit, though, that my favorite from the album is a single, which usually isn’t the case. This time it’s “Blurry Animals”, the only track that has some semblance of vocals. They are just used for backing harmonies, but there is something so addictive about the circular harmony, the off-kilter drums, and the swelling atmosphere that never gets old. I could listen to this track a million times.
The second half has plenty of winners, too. I love the two-part piece called “Silence Between Mountains”, especially. The first part is about 2.5 minutes long, and it is a delicate, soothing track that floats and weaves. I love that the second part does not start with a brash, loud sound. No, it is equally as calm and contemplative. In the last couple minutes, though, we get the main crescendo of the album, a gritty and towering beauty that will absolutely rustle your senses.
I love the last three songs, and they are all about three minutes long. “Metanoia” has a great drumming gait to it. I like the “chorus”, which almost feels like a voice. Next is “Flim”, a spunky piece that strangely feels like a lullaby somehow. It is completely different from the rest of the album, more about sparkling notes and quirk than about emotion. I love it. The closer is “Endlessly Connected”, a head-bobbing and warm tune with such healing vibes that will leave you smiling at the end.
If These Trees Could Talk have been missing in action for almost a decade, but they are back with another terrific album. The Hidden Hand is thrilling in moments, emotional in others, and always there is the masterful control that speaks to us without the need for fluff or noodling. It’s a rich, vibrant, and memorable experience.
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