ÁSA – Fathom Review
I am a lover of concept albums and long songs. Rarely do I find bands committed to creating expansive, monolithic pieces of music, but when I do, I immediately take notice.
It’s a particular treat when these discoveries happen close to home. Today’s review is about Boise-based ÁSA’s first album, Fathom. The album is a single 33-minute-long song—the kind of trip I long for and wish more bands would attempt.
I understand why bands don’t often create these kinds of pieces. They require a significant investment from the listener, and streaming services punish tracks that don’t get full play-throughs, creating financial incentives to produce shorter songs.
This leaves a segment of the market underserved—those of us who seek out musical works that use extended lengths of time to enhance the experience.
Fathom is effective in creating this depth of experience by using what makes many post-rock albums great—recurring themes that evolve and layer to push the music forward. It also avoids the pitfalls that befall many post-rock bands, particularly the trend of building predictable crescendos with tremolo picking and reverb, which has become a trope in the genre.
The first few minutes establish the primary motif with clean guitar and driving bass before fading into the sounds of waves crashing. The name, cover art, and ocean sounds all hint toward a nautical theme, though the music itself is geared more toward creating an atmosphere where you are free to explore the depths of not only the musical work, but also yourself through slow, consistent rhythms and gradual changes.
As the waves fade, the second movement begins with a slow tempo and sparse arrangement reminiscent of Earth’s Old Black. These sparse arrangements provide space for the music to grow; the interplay of melodies among layers of clean guitars continually builds upon each other until they fade out into another interlude of ocean waves, whale sounds, and an excerpt from Alan Watts’ “The Nature of Consciousness.”
The third movement returns to the primary melodic theme with more urgency delivered by the rhythm section. This time, the music reaches a climax with the use of layered atmospheric guitars and soaring melodies that contrast with the clean guitars of the previous two movements. Once the climax is reached, the music fades into the sound of waves crashing one last time.
Across its three movements, Fathom creates an environment conducive to meditation through its sparse arrangements while using clever layering to keep the progression engaging.
If you enjoy long songs as a means to meditate, then Fathom is a perfect fit for you.