Pelican
What We All Come to Need (Southern Lord)

Chicago-based instrumentalists Pelican have never been an instant-gratification sort of act. Their slow, methodical and sublimely understated technical post-metal takes time to unfold; it’s all a grandiose experience shaped into what would best be defined as movements, not songs. As the quartet has become tighter over time, it has also delved into deeper exploratory territory, evidenced on What We All Come to Need, easily the group’s most ethereal effort to date.

Continuing in the tradition of 2007’s City Of Echoes, What We All Come to Need veers farther away from the guttural riffs that initially defined the band in favour of more serene progressions. With a subtle array of melodies woven into their cerebral rhythms, the songs are still engaging, but it takes a while to get to the kind of monolithic, instinctual grooves exemplified on early releases such as 2003’s Australasia.

Refined and smooth, this 51-minute opus proves to be Pelican’s most rewarding release to date, provided you have the fortitude to stick with it. Far from Pelican’s most rockin’ affair, it demands attention and patience before revealing its many layers. When it does sink in, however, What We All Come to Need becomes an indelible post-sludge metal gem.

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