Town Portal – The Occident (Subsuburban & Small Pond)
The Copenhagen based trio of Town Portal have certainly gained a bit of a following since their debut EP Vacuum Horror from four or so years ago. The instrumental math-rock biz is apparently a well-received one in Denmark, but their appeal has managed to extend much further than that with each successive release, particularly here in the states to fans of the big sweeping tones of Midwestern inspired rock. The Occident marks their second full-length and really doesn't teeter terribly from the path that gained them plenty of recognition on their previous record Chronopoly, however The Occident appears to have eliminated a lot of the jumbled and chaotic moments that would occasionally creep up. With the style of instrumental rock that they tackle, it's easy to let things pile on top of one another, whether it was in some attempt at squeezing that last idea in or just an added dose of heaviness...it would limit the breezy fluidity that their songs have often excelled in achieving. The slightly chilled approach here on the new full-length allows the band to “drift” in the best possible way, with tracks that truly feel like an inspired journey at times...seamlessly segueing into each part with little to no jarring transitions. It's easy to understand why Town Portal have climbed into such a high position of esteem with fans of the progressive/mathy community and The Occident, being a further refined vision of their sound, will no doubt be well received. Town Portal - Yes Golem (stream) BUY IT!
