The Bronzed Chorus
I'm the Spring (2009)
Brian Shultz
The way the Bronzed Chorus' I'm the Spring starts out, one's way too prone to make a Minus the Bear comparison despite more prickly guitars in this weaving, light-hearted introduction. But this momentary similarity quickly dissipates, only resurfacing a few more times throughout "Underpass Sunrise," which otherwise dabbles in more unique instrumental math rock territory with a terrific buildup and a fitful, intricate fuss. Okay, so this track actually reminds me a lot of what might happen if you stripped the Isis/Pelican/general post-metal influences from the Russian Circles camp.
The rest of I'm the Spring deviates a little bit from those ideas, but it's not entirely hard to imagine what it sounds like. "Andy You Goonie" adds dizzying riffs to some of the bigger and most effective drum sounds achieved on the record, while "Arches" weaves through amble drum fills and reverberating finger-taps before culminating in a sensible fit and stuttered rhythms. Closer "T.D.W.D. Georgia" almost sounds like an early, stripped-down Explosions in the Sky jam in some ways, but especially with its sparkling post-rock opening.
I'm the Spring isn't always the most compelling release, and might lose interest here and there as the band explore the path a new riff or tone might lead them down. But it's quite a full sound for just two people, and a pretty engaging one at that.