Stars of the Lid -- And Their Refinement of the Decline

Stars of the Lid
And Their Refinement of the Decline
[Kranky, 2007]

The music of Stars of the Lid – Texas-based duo Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie – can at worst be described as contemplative. Listening to a Stars of the Lid record is not unlike listening to Eno’s early ambient period or the chamber pieces of Arvo Pärt. While the instrumentation is quite varied and the atmospheric dronescapes frequently invoke the aesthetics of cinema, this is not music seeking cathartic release or narrative direction.

This is music that evolves rather slowly over long durations. One is intended to bathe in the textures and drone of each sound and engage in what can paradoxically be described as “situational transcendence”. Each sound is allowed space to be examined in detail. Naturally, the relative tranquillity of the affair can tend to provoke in listeners a degree of lethargy or rumination if one wishes to allow it.

Unlike a great deal of contemporary music of this sort, Stars of the Lid does not rely on generative compositional processes or purely electronic sound sources. For much of the album, live instrumentation is used not solely in opposition to the relative silence of the electronic drones, but to examine the manner in which the timbre of each instrument can serve to define an acoustic space. For example, album opener “Dungtitled (In A Major)” allows a complex harmonic interplay to develop between flugelhorn, cello, and violin as each instrument introduces a static tone which quickly decays into the electronic background, while the two-part piece “Articulate Silences” is notable for the use of a chamber orchestra.

The band started issuing albums in the mid-nineties, and in recent years have learned to be rather judicious in their release schedule. And Their Refinement of the Decline is the duo’s first album since 2001's monumental Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid. Fans of ironically-titled tracks will appreciate the allusions to the drug-induced states experienced by typical fanboys of ambient music. This nomenclature, here continued from previous albums, explains this album’s title.

While it does not achieve the brilliance of Tired Sounds, this new album demonstrates that McBride and Wiltzie are continuing to perfect their craft as they explore the inner depths of sound spaces. And Their Refinement of the Decline is an impressive release and well worth the acquisition. Stars of the Lid – accompanied by a string section and a 16mm film projectionist – will be playing at The Music Gallery in Toronto on April 28. Christopher Willits and Ken Reaume will also perform.

MP3: Stars of the Lid - The Daughters of Quiet Minds