10. Explosions In The Sky - "The End"

For many years Explosions in the Sky have been at best classed as an American Mogwai and at worst classed as a poor person’s Mogwai. They have made some stunning records over the years but they have always been shackled by that unshakeable tag of “This does this sound an awful lot like Mogwai”. 

However “the End” sees them finally break out of that shadow and create an album that sounds, frankly, like nobody else but them. This is post-rock taken to the nth degree. There is urgency here you don’t usually encounter within this rather lethargic genre. Everything sounds like it is being done a hundred miles an hour and with precision intent.

It is just such a masterly album and they skilfully build the most majestic sparkling towers of pulsating sound. It’s a wondrous swirling maelstrom of twinkling time signatures and hurtling guitars. I just found myself lost in its majestic nature, drunk in its assured ambition. There is now a danger that Mogwai could start to be referred to as a poor person’s Explosions In The Sky.