Gone: A Collection of EP's 2000-2007
compiles two tracks (
"Finlandia,"
"Black Woods"
) from
Mono
's sold-out
Hey You
EP,
"Yearning"
from the sold-out
Mono/Pelican
split album, both songs (
"Memorie dal Futuro,"
"Due Foglie, una Candela: Il Soffio del Vento"
) from the
Memorie dal Futuro
10",
"Since I've Been Waiting for You"
from the
Thankful
compilation, and the entire
The Phoenix Tree
EP (
"Gone,"
"Black Rain,"
"Rainbow,"
and
"Little Boy [1945 -- Future]"
). Needless to say,
fans will revel in this compilation, as it pairs much of the necessary
Steve Albini
recordings with the best rare early songs, which, while less symphonic, are still incredibly majestic dynamic exercises. As far as building minimalist clouds of sound into explosive, frenetic storms, there aren't many bands that can compete with
, and this comp acts as a solid introduction to the group's emotionally swelling sonic virtues. The songs are grouped chronologically, to capture the band's progression, but this also works well conceptually, creating an upward slope as the disc progresses and the band ventures deeper into orchestral territory (the last EP was recorded with a quartet) and culminates in a wash of guitar noise. This is
at their most cinematically lush, and there's absolutely no reason for a shoegazer or new classic music fan to skip out on a set of songs this gorgeous. ~ Jason Lymangrover