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Initially released in 2005, Lymbyc System has united with Magic Bullet Records to re-release the brothers Bell debut. Carved By Glaciers is truly a testament to their ability to create and navigate melodies that equally, in alternating bursts, spew treachery and beauty from the core. These seven songs are gloriously emotive at the same time that they guide listeners through territories unknown, but the most artful aspect of Carved By Glaciers is the duo’s ability to wean people away from fixating on departure and arrival, sonically and otherwise. And by no means have the brothers just happened upon stunning work; their 3 tunes on Field Studies, a recent split cd with This Will Destroy You, reveal the same aptitude at diving into melodia and creating intertwining sonic networks around them.
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This Will Destroy You’s hefty intro “Brutalism and the Worship of the Machine” on Field Studies opts for a meandering, slow conflagration over the song’s 11 minutes, and “Freedom Blade” subtly illustrates the process of achieving redemption. Lymbyc Systym works from This Will Destroy You’s guarded intention and brings it further in “Processed Spirits” on the split, widening the aperture through which listeners peer to make sense of things.
Perhaps named after India’s rolling holy man, album opener “Lotan Baba” is another example of the Bell’s strangely consuming melodic structures that stretch along circuitous paths and maintain your attention, even if you’re doing something else, because a surprising sense of concern about reaching the song’s close. They bring this sentiment further in “Selamat Pagi (Donna’s Song)” (which translates to “good morning” in Malay) with a little help on the remix from American Analog Set, they illuminate what it means to truly be human. Working off of Lymbyc Systym’s notably atmospheric melodies and revealing the good and the bad in all of us, whether for better or worse, Carved By Glaciers is more fustian than overzealous and is always gorgeous.
Looking to former Austinite Her Space Holiday for the “1000 Arms” remix, the Bell duo surely has something important on their hands. Their ability to pierce the skin with only the nearly tangible point of their sonic tools is more than commendable; it ushers them into an important position in indie-tronic rock complete with a massive flag so we can make sure not to miss anything they may do.
