To really be able to fall back into any given work is to truly become one with the record at hand, and that’s a unique feeling that cannot be compared to anything else in all of music. It’s in the more ethereal realms of rock that we’re constantly treated to several acts that are capable of bringing such glory forward and that’s why it’s long been one of my favorite corners of rock to inhabit. Despite delivering material for seven years now, Ranges has never once been an act to miss with their latest offering being the greatest example of such that they’ve delivered to date.
It is one thing to sit down and create some instrumental rock and simply call it a day after a couple riffs, bridges, and melodies brought together for even a half-exciting listen. But, it’s on another level altogether when we talk about what it means to do the style true justice the likes of which is more than worthy of commendation, and we’re incredibly lucky with how often we can find high-quality releases from all over instrumental rock in all of its veins on a consistent basis with Ranges being just one of the hundreds that need mentioning. While it’s the undeniable whole of this band’s discography that needs to be heard in order to really be a part of what the modern state of this particular vein of rock is capable of with “Cardinal Winds” being arguably their most accomplished work to date. Across nine tracks that cover some of the more expansive as well as fleeting aspects of the style, not a single minute of what’s offered to us here is wasted as Ranges capitalizes on every moment that they put forth to transport the listener into a euphoric record that can only be likened to flying amongst the home mountains of the band with it being a true score of beauty right from the beginning. A seemingly endless number of twists and turns graces “Cardinal Winds” for all that it offers as one listen is more than enough to hypnotize you without a single ounce of failure to be had in its particular form of intoxication, but it’s upon every subsequent flight with Ranges that it becomes clear amazingly quick that there’s so much more to discover within the vast reaches of all that this album covers. It’s the very definition of a rewarding listen that is infinitely more so for those who take the time to dive into all the secrets that those mountains hold, at which point Ranges is more than happy to share.
This is one of those instrumental records that’s damn near the very epitome of what it means to take the style to its limits of excellency to the point where some could very well call this a masterpiece in its own right, and it wouldn’t be crazy to think Ranges is capable of delivering something like that. The very basic moments of “Cardinal Winds” is something to behold for any listener, but it’s the whole of this album that it’s clear this band has truly come into their own on a level that not many of their contemporaries will likely ever achieve, and that instantly makes this experience all the more tantalizing.
LISTEN to “Cardinal Winds” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Ranges on Facebook here.
Head-Banger Reviews 