I’m not quite a big fan of instrumental rock music, perhaps because I get into rock music and I spent over a decade spiting into the microphone, but this “I Was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone”, the third album by Maybeshewill, band from Leicester, U.K. formed in 2005, it’s quite impressive. They play a sort of post-rock, pretty gloomy themes, but in a quite charming way, and they using programmed and sampled electronic elements alongside acoustic and electronic instruments. Maybeshewill has seen a number of musicians come and go, but core members Robin Southby on guitar, John Helps on guitar and James Collins on drums have been with the band since their first tour and album. On bass currently is Jamie Ward.
They might be compared by some with Mogwai, but Maybeshewill’s music is more intense, powerful, in a particular way more rock oriented, but also much more colorful, I would say deeper. Comparisons have also been made with Sigur Rós, but once again, Maybeshewill sounds much heavier I think, they have stronger rock roots and their music is not that spacy, soundscape and soundtrack/cinematic like.
They have stated in a number of interviews that they are concerned about the state of the mainstream music industry and as such continue to work with “DIY” label Field Records, release a lot of their music themselves through Robot Needs Home, and are learning to do the jobs that would normally be performed by managers and booking agents themselves. Up until December 2010 they had booked all their tours “in-house” and recorded all their music themselves using borrowed equipment and spare rooms. The band have claimed in interviews that they wanted to prove that it’s possible to make music without spending any money. In the liner notes of Sing The Word Hope In Four-Part Harmony they published a brief guide to the approach that they take, as well as information on how they go about recording everything themselves.
Although they are not a “political” band, many of the samples and song-titles within their music hint at broadly left-wing, somewhat socialist or idealistic ideas.
They will be touring the UK, Ireland and Mainland Europe in October and November alongside another instrumentalists band, the Japanese LITE.
“I Was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone” it’s beautiful, pulsating and vibrating, it has a perfect groove and simultaneously it’s floating and flowing, it’s feels alright to leave the album spinning around.
Maybeshewill – Official Site
Maybeshewill @ MySpace
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU2zMMyzEHg&w=500&h=305]
