Two years after his excellent Dust Lane release from 2010, French instrumentalist and songwriter Yann Tiersen has returned with Skyline; a fully proper follow-up which contains all of the explosive, emotional music for which he's become known.
Although Tiersen is probably best known for his work on the Amelie soundtrack-which consisted of a selection of songs taken from his first three releases, alongside new material penned for the film-Skyline stands strong upon the shoulders of its own potent songwriting, dominated by Tiersen's heartfelt vocals and evocative instrumentation.
The album sounds comparatively more up-beat and positive against the brilliant melancholy of Dust Lane, embracing varied sounds of piano, acoustic guitar and emphatic percussion, while Tiersen's hynotically melodic vocals sail smoothly over each mantra-like composition. The effect as a whole doesn't exactly sound dissimilar to the post rock of a Mogwai or Explosions In the Sky-albeit with a stronger singer/songwriter bent-perhaps drawing additional comparisons to the latest work of such bands as Anathema, Blackfield or even Riverside.
It's this unique musical dynamic-and respectable unwillingness to compromise-which makes Yann Tiersen's music so enticing and so addictive. Despite the fact that Tiersen doesn't consider himself a composer (indeed, possessing no real classical background), this magical music still comes across as quite cinematic in scope; a moving tapestry of sounds and melodies designed to evoke a strong, emotional reaction within the listener.
In this endeavor, Yann Tiersen has indeed knocked it out of the park once again, for Skyline is a sure home run for this talented French artist.
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