I thought I was merely jumping on the bandwagon of post-rock, trying to listen to The Autumn Project’s A Burning Light. All this talk about Godspeed You Black Emperor, Isis and Mogwai had me longing to experience what everybody else was raving about so much. So, here I was merely following a trend, but stumbled over a piece of music which brought me an incredible chance to relax and to rest the case of frayed nerves.

I can see how music reviewer may consider albums like A Burning Light to be feast and famine at the same time. On one hand, what do you say about 56 minutes of experimental instrumental structure-less music, but at the same time, look how much of your own imagination you can invest into creating feelings associated with this very music.

It is quite certain that Mike Gustafson and his Huffman brothers co-workers are creating something entirely non-commercial, emotional and almost cinematic in its perception. All five compositions on A Burning Light seamlessly transition, where the end of one track becomes the beginning of the next one. The moods are different, just like the sounds of drumkit on every one of these compositions.

At the Feet of Sleeping Giants begins and ends with nothingness. The emptiness first grows a guitar skeleton, which material fuzz fills in. Then the birth of tribal drumming creates an explosion of sorts, all coming to a soothing still end with some electrical crackling and the sound of migrating birds. These are the sounds of the Rockies, the nature that is both powerful and still, the one that was there before you came, or will be there after you leave. Just like any self-respected post-rock outfit The Autumn Project has functional crescendos, the emotional atmospheric melody wrapped around percussion in Across Mountain Tops to Broken Bridges, or the throbbing epic guitar on Between the Smoke and Mirrors, where the gathering storm ends up with the amp blow-up. Contrast is another good tool in the hands of a talented musician. Gloomy, pensive and funereal, We Cast These Shadows outgrows the electric fuzz to go into a Shabbat dancing, with another tremolo melody crescendo. In the end, however, A Burning Light is about peace, as the closing title track evidences, after one final climax is reached.

I trust you forgive my lack of efficiency describing this album to you. I guess I am still new to the genre, and still not taking in all of what it has to offer. I would recommend A Burning Light to someone, who is fussing around, trying to upset the balance. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the flight, as they say before you board a plane. I could use this advice myself on many occasions.