Song Of The Week: "A Light So Dim" (Perth Express)

I'm long overdue in posting a new song, so this week we have the final, dirgy swan-song from Perth Express's recent (final?) full length, "Harrow And Wealdstone." Usually, that long, introspective-slow-song-at-the-end-of-the-album, really translates to that indulgent-as-hell-musical-sedative. Such is not the case with "A Light So Dim." This track plods along at a foot-weary pace, is repetitive, and almost reaches 11 minutes in length... But somehow this adds up to an amazing aural journey! The Express pull it off with heavy, haunting guitars, and raspy vocals, brimming with a frustration, gently tinged with hope. It's bleak as all get-out, but there's a sense that even after the song's end, that dim light at the end of the tunnel flickers on, undying.

Perth Express are one of my recent favorite bands, combining the heaviness and clean production of early His Hero Is Gone with the frenetic, mathematical precision of Coalesce (etc.). I find myself listening to their first LP more often than "Harrow," but both are phenomenal. Tempo-wise, this isn't the best example of their sound, but if you're new to the Express and are feeling adventurous, prepare yourself for 11 of the more crushing minutes of your recent life.

"A Light So Dim"