The Coma Lilies are a post-rock band from California who apparently broke up earlier this year after being together for almost six years. Their demise was not the result of clashing egos, as so often happens in popular music, but more a result of their desire to try different things with their music, as the members of the band continue to work together on projects such as Sex Goddess or SHAT.Memento Mori is the band's final release and as such, I didn't want to be overly critical when I was asked to write about it.

Memento Mori lasts a little longer than twenty-nine minutes and feels more like a single; the opening track, which is also titled “Memento Mori,” is not only the longest at almost nine minutes, but the one that stands out as well. While “Memento Mori” does lack in originality, as the band seems way too comfortable in abusing the quiet-loud formula, it remains a perfect example of what a post-rock song used to be, reminding me of early Mogwai.

It is rather unfair to accuse a post-rock band, especially one limited to standard rock instrumentation, of not being original, as no one seems to do the same for bands from other more popular genres. The Coma Lilies do have talent, hoewver, and they make quite a few attempts to spice up their compositions. The creative drumming of “Grab a Fork Micron (Circumsized),” the jazz-like “Whip-its & Smores” – in which they sound like a more organic version of Pan American – and the sweet toy-like sounds of “U s'pozed 2 b my cutty, u s'posd 2 b my dawg” are all good examples of their efforts. However, most of their compositions are too short and the album often sounds like a recording of their jamming sessions. The band has some good ideas but, unfortunately, they never seem to materialize into something one would listen to more than a few times.

Knowing that the band broke up recently, one cannot help but wonder under what circumstances this album was made. Listening to Memento Mori, my impression was that these five guys certainly enjoy the music they make and enjoy working together as well (which isn't too surprising as they continue to cooperate on a number of projects). I can't help but think however that one of the main reasons they decided to take a different direction in their musical adventures, was that they ran into a creative wall. If that was the reason they broke up, then it was in my opinion a good idea, as they are musicians with a lot to offer, something that is evident even on this less than satisfying EP.

-John Kontos