Balmorhea has, to me, always been one of those bands that has epitomized the ideals of instrumental music. While that may sound like an overly bold statement, I draw attention to the fact that I do realize there is a huge difference between the ideals and the execution of them. Balmorhea’s self-titled debut was one of my favorite albums of 2007, owing mostly to the subtle balance of acoustic guitar and piano: the resulting sound was nothing short of spectacular.

Three years later we are at the band's fourth full-length release, after the aforementioned self-titled release, 2008’s Rivers Arms, and 2009’s All Is Wild, All Is Silent. Constellations carries along in the same vein as its predecessors, relying upon the same combination of instruments and ambience to achieve the final product. What seems different about this release, especially when compared to All Is Wild..., is an enhanced sense of the melancholic and the meditative. Compare “To the Order of Night” to “Settler,” for example, and one will see what I mean. While this juxtaposition in no way reflects badly upon Balmorhea’s skills, it does to some extent dampen my enthusiasm towards the album. The whole premise of slightly subdued, almost folksy guitar presented simply and basically unaccompanied was what really struck me about the Texan duo from the beginning.

Expanding upon the piano motifs established in previous albums, “Steerage And The Lamp” is definitely the standout track here. Hugely dramatic piano arpeggios really set the pace for the piece, exacerbating the sense of foreboding when the rather oppressive repeated cadence is trumped in volume only by staccato-bowed violin. After five minutes of this somewhat emotive assault, the music noticeably peaks, leaving behind it cohesive shards of the previous melody. Only this time, both instruments are much more at ease, giving the vivid sense of something emerging from the ashes of the previous theme.

All the pieces on display here not only show promise, but also (as is to be expected of a band of Balmorhea's experience) a cohesion that only comes from years of recording. Songs like “Winter Circle” touch upon the near-euphoric joy hinted at in previous albums, with a similar sense of style and phrasing, yet it still seems somehow… sadder, like Balmorhea is somewhat prematurely composing its own requiem. While Constellations has the inimitable sound of its predecessors, it feels like the band is evolving. Going through a change can be tough for any band to deal with, and it serves only as a testament to its skills that few of the usual inclemencies displayed by a transitional artist are present here. The truly exciting time comes when one's favorite band manages to come through such a period with a new-found sense of purpose and a new conviction in whatever stylistic qualities still remain of its original sound. Let’s just hope that Balmorhea manages to do exactly that, and bowl us over once again.

-Barry Smethurst