Old Solar • Quiet Prayers (redux) [LP]

'Quiet Prayers (redux)' by Old Solar on 180g coloured vinyl

Comes in a regular 12" case sleeve in two variants:

• EU variant: White w/ Green Marble (limited to 300 copies)
• (SOLD OUT) US variant: White w/ Blue Marble (limited to 200 copies)

Note: only 20 US copies available in our webshop! Head over to  A Thousand Arms' webshop to secure your US copy. 

Also available at Bird's Robe Records, Church Road Records and New Noise China.

Release on February 18th, 2022.

Info

The Raleigh, North Carolina post-rock band Old Solar has always been firmly rooted in conceptual foundations and the evolution of ideas. Their albums have explored the cycles of life: the changing of the seasons, death, and rebirth. So, it’s only fitting their upcoming release Silent Prayers (redux) is a merging of old and new, a fresh walk over familiar ground.

Beginning its existence in 2017 as an EP of minimalist ambient compositions written by guitarist Travis Scott (who was at the time still working as a solo artist behind the Old Solar moniker), Silent Prayers was ripe for reconsideration once William Baker and Evan King joined as full-time members for 2019’s SEE. The album reemerges now with further fleshed out arrangements, though its presentation honors the original form, maintaining a softer spirit in contrast to the breathtaking scope of its predecessor.

This re-imagining presents itself in a measured reveal, as opening track “Help Us To Be Faithful” introduces the record with updated instrumentation and additional subtle accents without stepping away from its hushed delivery. Even the percussion folded in toward the end of the song acts more as a textural element than it does a rhythmic force. As the album moves forward, this theme of understated revision holds firm, the only outliers being the carefully building drums that carry through the second halves of “Thank You For This Day” and “Your Goodness & Mercy.”

The real shift takes place during the final track, “Be Still, and Know That I Am,” which experiences the greatest overhaul by far. Skewing closer to the towering epics on SEE, it doubles the length of the original recording, and concludes Quiet Prayers (redux) in truly stunning fashion. The band pulls out all the stops for this dramatic finale, complete with roaring guitar riffs, tolling bells, and ascending, anthemic melodies. Standing in contrast to its companions on the record, it’s a stunning reminder of exactly what kind of power Old Solar commands when they let everything loose. It’s a perfect counterpoint to all that comes before it, as Quiet Prayers (redux) is allotted the necessary space to make its finer points, with room left over to nod to the horizon in affirmation of what listeners can continue to expect from the band.

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