(yes, I don't usually write out the band name in full, although when I'm starting a thread about them, I feel it's justified)

I thought 2008 was a good year for post-rock with Maybeshewill, Vessels and Her Name Is Calla all releasing great records, the 65daysofstatic EP was also a wonderfully innovative direction for that particular band to take. I'm going to pretend the Mogwai album never happened.

I hadn't got round to buying the Upcdownc album until this year. It's beautiful, mesmeric, atmospheric, epic - all things I want in a post-rock album. There's no passages of 5 or 6 minutes where nothing seems to happen (a problem with a lot of post-rock) the balance between quiet/loud and atmospheric build up/full on epic-ness is almost perfect. At times it sounds so relaxed, at others so frenetic. It even has rocking riffs and crunching guitars. Somehow, it still all works so wonderfully well, a real credit to instrumental music.

9/10

Anyone agree/disagree?