Explosions in the Sky’s sixth full-length wastes no time in covering well-worn methods: “Last Known Surroundings” betrays a seething underbelly with bright guitar wails and martial drums; “Be Comfortable, Creature” does the same, only slower and brighter — “Let Me Back In,” too, but backwards. Effective as ever, really, but it’s “Trembling Hands” — think Broken Social Scene, beardless — that feels like the most urgent thing this band’s ever recorded, a past and future commingled ecstatically. It’s familiar but refreshing, evidence that a dinosaur genre like “post-rock” can still sound vital. Also? The album art turns into a house! MORE
