Gem Of The West

I really enjoyed SENTRIES’ debut album last year, Snow as a Metaphor for Death. I was awestruck by the elaborate layers of instrumentation Kim Elliot crafted on that LP: the builds he centered tracks around felt impossibly intricate. Even more impressive is the fact that it is just him. As his bandcamp states:

sentries are:
kim elliot
that’s it just one guy

Many artists I like are solo acts, but SENTRIES feels notable to me for the remarkable fullness with which he imbues his work. There seems to be a maximalist quality to his approach that keeps me on edge in the best possible way; my ears feel as if they may drown among all the interesting sounds, all of which are simultaneously more than deserving of my focus.

All of these qualities of Kim’s music, which had me so enamored with his debut album, are ratcheted up several notches on this sophomore LP. In ever sense, Kim’s talents have matured like a fine cheese or wine or meme. What’s more, they have done so to a remarkable degree considering there is only a year’s time between these two records.

I have much more I could say, but I will leave this review with the simple urge to go listen for yourself. I was very, very quickly hooked, and I have a feeling it will be similar for those who are destined to be hooked by the sweet, demolishing sounds of SENTRIES.

Favorite Song: The Cowboy’s Carcass