The Soundtrack to Our Lives: Communion

The Soundtrack to Our Lives
Communion
(Yep Rock Records)

The Soundtrack of Our Lives (TSOOL) is one of those rare bands that produce countless exceptional albums, yet still aren’t considered mainstream. Well, probably for the better. Fans of TSOOL know how stellar their music is, and hopefully the media won’t ever exploit their creative genius. Communion is the six release from the band, consisting of two-discs and 24 songs of pure, psychedelic-folk goodness.

Disc one opens up with “Babel On,” a catchy play on words that you’ll have humming in your head for hours. “The Ego Delusion” is one of my favorite tracks on the album, with lyrics like “Dreamer, dream on…to find a place away from this guzzle of hell.”

“Second Life Replay” reminded me of a mythical folk song (in the same vein as the sound of the Decemberists or Elfin Saddle.) “Thrill Me” is the feel-good song of the album, sounding straight out of the classic-rock catalog of the 70s. Another favorite is their brilliant cover of Nick Drake’s “Fly,” an extremely underrated tune.

On disc two, “Without Warning” sounds like a 50s prom song, mixed with elements of Coldplay, while “Digitarian Riverbank” is a soothing instrumental, ala “Bron-yr-aur” (Led Zeppelin). “Utopia” is a track meant to be turned up loud to truly appreciate it, while “Songs of the Ocean” is my favorite track out of all 24 songs, making phenomenally ambient sense of lyrics like “No, we don’t belong anymore to the umbilical shore.”

Overall, The Soundtrack of Our Lives succeeded again in producing an album which is both psychedelic musically AND mind-expanding lyrically. I would consider them in the same category as bands like Pink Floyd and Radiohead, considering some of the topics they sing about. However, Communion definitely looks at the future of mankind with eyes of hope rather than doom, which is surprisingly refreshing.