Hailing from the cultural hub of Istanbul, Turkey, Oracles Always Lie have many tales to tell on their debut album, When All Guides Disappear. They drive most of their sound with a steady supply of post-rock guitar while experimenting with brass, strings, and even a vibraphone, which is more than enough to capture my attention. As many others have done in the past, the band successfully incorporates samples of spoken word throughout that blends in very nicely with the melodic, guitar-driven songs. Oracles bring in a well-defined database of influences and shed some light on the post-rock sound that we all know and love. And that's exactly why I think this new album from them is such a delight -- they're stripping down post-rock to its bare minimum and yet retaining a sense of nostalgia for everything the genre has brought us over the years.
The album is initiated by a commotion of voices that transition into gentle, lush guitar notes and light percussion. Oracles opt to use the now all too familiar post-rock guitar melodies while meandering into heavier sounds here and there. The vibraphone is dabbled with during the first half of the second track, but with just those few notes played, the song's strength and character are brought to life that much more. This is easily one of the most distinctive songs on the entire album, experimenting with soft brass notes immediately after sparking those vibes.
Oracles continue to highlight their obvious influences with tracks like "Innate," an upbeat song reminiscent of groups such as Unwed Sailor. Getting all space-rock on us, the following track, "See the World Through Binoculars," starts with an extremely familiar radar/satellite blip noise (maybe a sound clip from the old Command & Conquer games) and continues into voice recordings of weather updates -- setting the scene for a possible rocket launch, perhaps?
Nonetheless, the music found within each track on this record is, to put it simply, inspiring. The four members of this group are proving to listeners that there is still hope for this type of instrumental music. The closing song on this album wraps it all up beautifully. The opening notes of "A Ghostly Experience" instantly, and oddly enough, made me think of dubstep, but even more, the atmospheric sounds of last year's record by Bohren & Der Club Of Gore. Anyone who was completely obsessed with Mooncake's Lagrange Points last year or just wants to hear some really great instrumental rock, check out When All Guides Disappear as soon as possible.
-Brett Hayes