AlbumsNovember 29, 201115,896 views

Pelican What We All Come to Need


What We All Come to Need
01. Glimmer 02. The Creeper 03. Ephemeral 04. Specks of Light 05. Strung up from the Sky 06. An Inch Above Sand 07. What We All Come to Need 08. Final Breath
2009 Southern Lord Records
Our score 8

by Nick
1/5/2010

After a long run on Hydra Head Records, Pelican seemed to be in need of a change. It could have been the general restlessness that tends to drive bands to seek out other label options as their career progresses. It could have been the desire to distance themselves from the post-rock tinged City of Echoes (which although it is still a good record, the test of time revealed it to be the clear front runner for the 'weak link of the discography' award). Or it could have been inspired by the fact that even though the group has grown to be an instrumental metal/rock household name, the band members are still very much interested in surrounding themselves with a roster of darker, more inaccessible acts that a label like Southern Lord could provide. I'm going to go out on a not-so-dangerous limb of assumptions and take a guess that it's a combination of all three. The great news is that What We All Come to Need is a confident step back in the direction of pre-City of Echoes Pelican, a feat that is deserving of a fair amount of congratulatory high fives. The return of a songwriting style that's more riff-centric and more focused on slower, organic progressions feels quite natural in comparison to the up-tempo rock leanings of the last record. "Ephemeral" might be the best example, as it flows effortlessly through a series of thick, precisely executed riffs before transitioning into a passage of winding guitar lines and warm bass tones. "The Creeper" sports one of Pelican's most cleverly written chord progressions at the 2:30 mark, helping to make the track a memorable standout. The title-track is the disc's most melodic effort, but thanks to layers of warm distortion and tasteful guitar leads, it serves as an excellent step in winding down the album. The big surprise comes with the closing track, "Final Breath," and the inclusion of The Life and Times' Allen Epley for a guest vocals slot. From an instrumentation perspective, the song is fairly uneventful, but Epley's brooding singing gives it a great shot of unexpected innovation, ultimately causing it to stand out as the record's best track. It's quite an interesting move on the band's part -- primarily due to their previous light-hearted confronting of critics' request for an additional band member (see their video for "Lost in the Headlights") -- and quite frankly, it begs the question: why don't they create an entire record like this What We All Come to Need is an excellent record, but it still won't eclipse the influence that records like Australasia and The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw had upon the instrumental metal/rock community. But if they crafted a release utilizing well-placed vocals similar to Epley's, it could end up as another career-defining record. That's the bigger picture that I'd love to see with Pelican. Make it happen. Bottom Line: From a focused perspective, Pelican's What We All Come to Need is a superb addition to their catalog and manages to pick up some of the slack accrued from their last full-length by returning to better riffs and more organically developing songwriting. But if you view the album from a higher level, it's apparent that its greatest aspect (Allen Epley's vocals on the closing track) represents an unrealized potential for greatness. Don't fight the vocals. Embrace them, and perhaps create a landmark record in the process.

25 comments

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anaturaldisaster_ 1/5/2010 4:50:13 PM

First, decent record.

Nowonmai_ 1/5/2010 4:50:57 PM

their tightest album yet, the drums actually make sense at some points

arty_mcfarty_ 1/5/2010 4:54:13 PM

you can't be f*cking serious......8/10?????

onemeansquid_ 1/5/2010 5:01:28 PM

a Pelican review without "the drummer still sucks"? i wont have it.

fuckthisband_ 1/5/2010 5:02:30 PM

Enjoyable background music but just not interesting enough to warrant an entire instrumental album. 6/10, tops.

timleo_ 1/5/2010 6:17:30 PM

boring band, lame record.

falling down_ 1/5/2010 6:48:28 PM

pelican is good music to f*ck to. always throw this shit on when i bring ladies home and they always enjoy the music... and my c-ck inside them.

elliot_ 1/5/2010 7:13:35 PM

Downloaded this and didn't realize I was missing the last two songs. Maybe those two will change my opinion that this is easily their most boring release yet.

luciano_ 1/5/2010 7:48:31 PM

vocalist is one of the nicest and most genuine dudes i have ever met. i shared a much needed clove with him afterward.

anonymous 1/5/2010 9:22:55 PM

haven't really cared about this band since australasia. just more of the same mid tempo boring "post metal." they're in that isis-style rut where all of their albums are starting to sound exactly the f*cking same. the only thing that last song does is remind me how much better shiner is than pelican.

ForShame_ 1/5/2010 11:22:01 PM

Excellent review. Retarded comments.

ccccccccccccccccccccccc_ 1/6/2010 9:28:11 AM

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Track Listing: 01. Glimmer 02. The Creeper 03. Ephemeral 04. Specks of Light 05. Strung up from the Sky 06. An Inch Above Sand 07. What We All Come to Need 08. Final Breath Favorite Track: Final Breath Review Date: 1/5/2010 Reviewer: Nick [ purchase album online ] // advertise // Copyright © Lambgoat

badaxe_ 1/6/2010 11:47:30 AM

After seeing a really lackluster performance from these guys in their hometown, I'm pretty apprehensive about this.

Shellac_01_ 1/6/2010 12:28:42 PM

OVERRATED!

theorgan_ 1/6/2010 1:16:45 PM

another f*cking 8?

War Drum_ 1/6/2010 2:33:52 PM

While better on this album (thanks pro tools!), the drummer still f*cking sucks.

Stepdadsbitchin'_ 1/6/2010 6:09:48 PM

Im tired of this boring instrumental "our shits too epic for you" shit. WHOS WITH ME!!?!?!?!?!!?

pork_destroyer_ 1/6/2010 7:59:07 PM

8/10??yeah f*cking right.most boring live band i have seen yet.

dustybutt_ 1/7/2010 2:36:51 PM

BREAK THE f*ck UP ALREADY

Rob Parker_ 1/8/2010 3:14:47 PM

I would like to give this "Nick" lad a high-five one day.

the_beard_ 2/10/2010 8:22:12 PM

Effin amazing album.

Bredt_ 3/3/2010 9:46:41 AM

The album is good-- and the drummer is a lot tighter-- but not worthy of an 8/10. I feel like this review is really arbitrary.

chris_ 3/5/2010 3:25:00 AM

heres the thing about their first cd and the fire in our throats blah blah.. the first track off each cd is really incredible, but the rest is kind of eh, give or take a couple parts. havent heard this one

ionesco_ 3/10/2010 5:29:24 AM

final breath indeed is an excellent track!

awakener_ 1/25/2011 7:39:04 PM

Why does everybody think the drummer sucks. It's not htat he sucks, it's that the production you can't hear the kicks at all on most their releases. I'm not saying he's the greatest drummer out their, but can you do it? it's good to hear they went to their older ways, I love The Fire in our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw and Australasia, and was very unimpresset with the City of Echoes album.