Do Make Say Think

The world of indie rock has never really embraced the concept of the instrumental jam band. The few exceptions that (barely) fit into that category — Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Mogwai, Tortoise — don't really follow the genre's rules, instead occupying a space between the Fall's deconstructed rock and the...

By Jonah Flicker

March 29, 2007

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The world of indie rock has never really embraced the concept of the instrumental jam band. The few exceptions that (barely) fit into that category — Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Mogwai, Tortoise — don't really follow the genre's rules, instead occupying a space between the Fall's deconstructed rock and the free-form noodling of hippie magnets Phish and the Dead. Toronto's Do Make Say Think manages to mine the best of these disparate worlds, resulting in a unique blend of improv rock and tightly knit arrangements on its newest record, You, You're a History in Rust. Earlier albums have flirted with this expansive aesthetic, albeit more in a Medeski, Martin, and Wood style, as jazz cadences are an integral part of the band's repertoire. But this new collection feels more directional, even as songs stretch toward the ten-minute mark. After the tentative ambient guitar and brass moments of the album's opener, DMST employs precision on tracks like the start-stop "The Universe!" But as always, the group is more concerned with the song's journey than its destination, allowing moments of serene guitar wash and post-rock breakdowns throughout, as well as the occasional hushed vocal. DMST continues to make instrumental rock interesting, keeping the melodic meandering to a bare minimum.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, New Times Broward-Palm Beach has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.