Skip to content
Reviews

Explosions in the Sky, ‘Take Care. Take Care. Take Care.’ (Temporary Residence)

It’s no slight to call these Austin instrumentalists “soundtrack-y” — they did, after all, blow up after creating incidental music for the Friday Night Lights film and TV show. And though it’s unusual that incremental, voiceless, hold-your-breath compositions — played largely on guitars and drums — can pack big venues, their fifth album’s gorgeously towering moments (“Human Qualities”) seem boundless. With subtle sonic shifts (such as chanting on the almost-poppy “Trembling Hands”), the songs are reliably dynamic, turning hushed beats and lightly scratched guitar into overwhelming drama.