We are broken, but not beyond repair. We are fallen, but not out of reach. We are sick, but not without a cure. We walk through darkness, but our fingers grope the walls for a switch. There will be light.
In the midst of the fog, we will reach out and find an open hand. While the world falls down around us, we will look up and see a thin slant of hope peering through the clouds. As the music swells and crashes, a soft chord will ring out. There will be a voice whispering, “Fear not,” amid the chaos. We will find peace. We will be still.
And we will sing, “Hallelujah.”
Glass America began in 2008 with a vision of rejecting the formulaic structures and textures that typify much of Post-rock. Members John Mirisola, Micah Wilson, Michael Foye, and Jared Deame wanted to create an original sound that encapsulated the best of ambient, instrumental music without succumbing to its clichés or being limited by what has come to be expected. Hailing from Wenham, Massachusetts - a small seaside town just north of Boston - Glass America is a mostly instrumental band that relies heavily on the sonic demeanor of the music to push the motifs of their sound.
“We try to limit the use of vocals because lyrics often times dictate to the listener how they’re supposed to feel,” says guitarist and lead vocalist, Jared Deame. “I think that one of the most important aspects of good art is engaging the listener to the point where they will have a very difficult time taking a passive role in the process.”
Glass America signed with Boston-based Driven Records in 2008 and has recently released their debut album, Redivivus, on the label. The record focuses on hope in the midst of darkness and pain. Says guitarist John Mirisola, “The biggest theme to the album, and indeed, the biggest theme in any of our lives, is that there is hope, whatever the circumstance. There is a major chord, even after a whole song in a minor key.” Redivivus crystallizes the band’s first year together and points in the direction of their future.
PRAISE FOR "REDIVIVUS"
"Glass America...might be 2009's best newcomers...music like this deserves to reach as many people as possible." -Post Rock Community
"Modesty doesn't typically go hand in hand with bands creating 11-minute soundscapes meant to impart some sort of woefully abstract political statement with only a chainsawing guitar as their narrator. And although Glass America's stewing, thick arrangements aren't exactly summer fare, the band couldn't be working from a more accessible mindset: Vocals only cloud your personal relationship with their music. Think what you want about everything, even if it's completely wrong. For instance, on "If I Forget You, O Jerusalem" Glass America unleash a frenetic guitar onslaught that reminds me of certain social situations in which I simply couldn't find the right thing to say. I ran for the heavens, much like Jared Deame's intense guitar. The band might read such ramblings and smack their foreheads in disgust, but I'm certain they will keep the disdain to a personal level. I'm stupid. This, however, is not." -absolutepunk.net
"This quartet from the mists of Boston, MA will let easy riffs fly with nicely poised piano melodies and charming drum patterns. Post-rock has had kind a high over the last few years but if the tiresome splashes and hard riveting riffs of punched-down formal heroes has tired you out, then the sound of these Sigur Ros scholars could do some wonders...this record is one of the best post-rock releases of the year. The weight that Glass America are able to put into each song, the pressure and the over-riding anxious energy is more than the average Mogwai song." -Audiotier.com
"...a solid and melodic album..." -Post-Engineering
"Great album!" -Margjakob.net
"Simply beautiful." -Thesirenssound.com
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/glassamericaband
