Back at it

Explosions in the Sky’s sixth album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, starts strong and finishes just as strongly. Not since How Strange, Innocence has one of their albums felt so much like a complete piece of art, with every song drawing from the same creative well and the same source of inspiration.

Explosions in the Sky often triggers a strange form of synesthesia for me. Synesthesia is the phenomenon in which the senses overlap or connect in unusual ways. A color might seem to have a taste, or a sound might evoke a physical sensation. Take Care, Take Care, Take Care feels like a memory being shared with me. It is as if a relative is recounting a cherished childhood story: your father's first home run, your mother's bridesmaid dress at your aunt's wedding, or your grandfather's best friend who moved away decades ago.

"Last Known Surroundings" and "Postcard from 1952" are standout tracks, but that is a testament to their quality rather than a condemnation of the rest of the album. The record feels energetic throughout, and Explosions in the Sky are clearly experimenting with sounds borrowed from dance music as well as faster tempos in general.

Overall, I greatly enjoy Take Care, Take Care, Take Care and consider it one of the strongest entries in the Explosions in the Sky discography.