Measurement

On Spokane's fourth full-length, Measurement, glacial melodies mix with subtle effects and sparse male/female vocals to create a sort of secular, post-rock version of Low. The lovely, understated production and hint of rhythm might be the result of Robert Donne (Labradford, Breadwinner), especially on the haunting instrumental "An Ideal History," a mix of low-end hum and a wound-down music box turned into a mid-album interlude. It leads to "Cities," a slowcore song in a whisper, punctuated by brushes and a lulling bass, given rich accompaniment by the breathy, Bilinda Butcher-sounding vocalist Courtney Bowles. The bittersweet post-shoegazer leaning appears on "Temporary Things," a sort of acoustic Slowdive wrought with lyrical fragments like "The mind just discards the day/Temporary things litter the evening." The now-threesome's unique, grave, yet airy approach, smattered with strings, trinkets, and electronics, was unlike anything breathing life in 2003. Too precious to be pop, too sincere to be indie rock, Spokane proves that lovely and quiet are not solely the realm of the boring.