Industries of the Blind
Chapter 1: Had We Known Better
(Eldert Street Records)
At first thought, the idea of a debut album containing only three tracks of purely instrumental music may not sound worthwhile, but Industries of the Blind’s first effort is an eye-opener. Although just a trio of separate pieces, it clocks in at over half an hour, with a sophistication not expected from a freshman effort.
The opening track, “I Just Wanted to Make You Something Beautiful,†is moody and beautiful but about halfway through becomes quite reminiscent of Coldplay’s “Everything’s Not Lost,†in a way that dances on the line separating influence and rip-off. The second track, “Waiting and Waltzing in Airport Terminals,†keeps the same sound and mood, but in a wholly original fashion. It is slow and somber, highlighted by steady piano and swooning violins. The electric guitar makes its presence felt about two-thirds of the way in, and the last two minutes and thirty-seven seconds make for a glorious symphony-rock epic that is extremely impressive in any context, let alone a debut album.
The third and final track, “The Lights Weren’t So Bright, but Our Eyes Were So Tired,†comes in at a (relatively) modest 5:07. The intro immediately calls to mind Creed’s “My Sacrifice,†which makes it two out of three tracks that may make one feel as if they’ve heard this before. Fortunately, the similarities end at the intro, as the rest of it is truly original and breathtaking.
All in all, very impressive for a rookie album. If they can hide their influences a little more and write more than three tracks, Industries of the Blind can expect to see a bright future.
To be honest, in that genre with the influences already present, I doubt they listen to Creed or Coldplay, nor have they probably ever heard their music. There are only so many chords and so many progressions you can do before some of them sound similar. This is one of those coincidences.