Exxasens have already earned themselves a cult following with their first three albums, but the Barcelona band have always fallen just short of producing a record that could conquer the post-rock world. Have they changed that with Satellites?
Maybe. The Launching sets the scene, with pulsating synthesisers evoking Mike Oldfield or Jean Michel Jarre, before an abrupt segue into up-tempo lead single Rocket To The Sky introduces the record’s noisy side.
Though their electronic influences have always been present, before they’ve felt like extra textures rather than on a par with the guitars. Rocket and the title track make up for this: in tone these are closer to bands such as 65daysofstatic, while Mass of Pluto and Arida recall space rock atmospherics that’ll be familiar to fans of Failure’s Fantastic Planet. The Falling closes the album’s story arc in appropriately widescreen fashion.
Whatever its forebears, the music here is thrilling and throughout, the album is unbelievably catchy. Satellites is concise enough to hold the attention but electic and varied enough in its conceptual sweep to offer real depth. Intelligent, bold and highly listenable, Exxasens’ latest is a real treat.
