The aphorism "Patience is a Virtue" is applicable in many facets of life, and none more so than in the post-rock genre.Mogwai’s extreme climaxes would not retain half their efficacy without having patiently brooded on a theme for several minutes prior.The Six Parts Seven’s delicate chiming would not be as beautiful without patiently allowing silence to build anticipation until the next engaging melody.The Slow Dancing Society implements this tenet with striking maturity to create lush soundscapes and ethereal tones on their first full-length album The Sound of Lights When Dim.

The album title is quite apropos, as Drew Sullivan is able to elicit vivid mental pictures of sparsely lit places or the horizon at dusk. Imagine being in a room where only the soft buzz of a halogen lamp, creaking of the floor, and slow drip of water from the sink create a solemn soundtrack. While it would be easy for SDS to descend into an eerie and dark cavity, Sullivan maintains an air of optimism, reminding us that even though night is near, there is still light for the moment. On “How Life was Meant to be Lived,” the bass organ tones are reminiscent of a somber dirge, yet the melody of the lap guitar retains hopefulness, not allowing the track to veer into melancholy. 

Implementing similar techniques to Hammock’s Raising Your Voice… SDS takes a slightly more delicate approach, but still continues to stave off monotony. There is surprising maturity in the music where a new melody or instrument always arrives the moment before one would allow the music to move to the background of their attention. While for many it may be easy to write The Sound of Lights When Dim off as mood music, there is a far deeper side to this album that one will only find with patience.

-Thomas Lloyd