.AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD
Festival Thyme

Art rock band .And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead’s career trajectory hasn’t been smooth. After the overwhelming praise heaped upon 2002′s “Source Tags & Codes,” the Austin-based group suffered rejection with follow-up releases “Worlds Apart” and “So Divided.” The albums were deemed too mapped out and overblown to gel with mainstream or indie crowds.

Now, with the absence of former label Interscope Records, Trail of Dead has gained complete control over its artistic direction. As a preview to its forthcoming 2009 album, the four-track EP “Festival Thyme” offers a glimpse of what sort of direction its music will take.

From opening cut “Bells of Creation (Machete Mix),” one gets the impression that Trail of Dead hasn’t noticeably progressed its sound. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to “Worlds Apart”‘s “Let It Dive,” it sails on a sturdy, if not terribly memorable, melody.

“Inland Sea,” presented in edited form, employs the band’s usual roar of distortion and couples it to echoing piano strains that give the music a glistening quality. But again, it signals no clear step forward. The straightforward, catchy chorus is sub-par when contrasted with the finest moments of “Source Tags & Codes.”

Then things get truly interesting. The title track provides an unexpected change of pace. It rides on a bass-driven melody and percussive acoustic guitars, lending the song a refreshingly buoyant and celebratory sound.

But final cut “The Betrayal of Roger Casement and the Irish Brigade” leaves the deepest impression on the listener. It is a shoegaze-tinged instrumental epic that recalls the majestic aggression of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky. Complemented by a midsection of psychedelic keyboard freakouts, it’s the most promising indicator that Trail of Dead is far from out of tricks.

VERDICT: Only time will tell if Trail of Dead can redeem its name in the music world, but the latter half of “Festival Thyme” offers a definite glimmer of hope.
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