By Ryan Pike
To every rule there is an exception, and for every 10 lame rock bands chugging through power chords, there is one Explosions in the Sky. The Texas-based four-piece achieved a modicum of infamy for their sophomore release Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Will Live Forever, released a month before 9/11 and featuring artwork of a plane captioned “This plane will crash tomorrow.” The band soon caught the eye of Hollywood, and stepped into the spotlight to score Friday Night Lights.
Despite their popularity, Explosions in the Sky haven’t changed much. Their fifth studio album, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, features the same musical flourishes that have won them acclaim and doomed them to never receive radio play. The average song lasts around eight minutes and features no singing at all. Despite this, the group creates arrangements that don’t really need lyrics to make their point.
Explosions in the Sky have firmly marked their territory in the musical landscape. Unfortunately, this limits how much variety can be found on their albums. Those listeners who enjoy three-minute musical morsels or singing in their shower need not apply. However, fans of the band will rejoice in finding an album that is, for better or for worse, virtually indistinguishable from every other Explosions album.