With their “Desertesque” track currently soundtracking the British government’s “Preparing For Emergencies” infomercial, State River Widening are doing their bit to calm the nation. Post-rock these days being a dirty word, it’s better to think of their third album as folktronica, much as Kieran Hebden left behind the Tortoise stylings of Fridge with his Four Tet project.
Kieron Phelan and David Sheppard (also part of The Wisdom Of Harry and Ellis Island Sound) eschew electronic trickery in favour of pastoral acoustics, however, sidestepping the excessively academic approach, and focusing instead on shimmering, occasionally Eno-esque reflections.
Undemanding stuff, and all the better for it.
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