Jim and Rick, you are hitting exactly what the press' #1 critique of Godspeed is. Here's a quote from AllMusicGuide's review of "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven":
"The main complaint voiced by critics of Godspeed's music is that their works just repeat the same pattern: start out sparse and slow, build-build-build, crescendo. While there are certainly crescendos, there is no such predictable pattern repeated among the works on Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven — it's loaded with dynamics, unexpected sections, strong emotions and beauty.
The album opener, "Storm," is a leap for GYBE! that, alone, makes this release worth getting."
Another track from that album, "Antennas to Heaven," is perhaps the hardest to listen to because it's 6 minutes of ambience, then the "unexpected section" that's really loud, then about a 6 minute build/crescendo, then 6 more of ambience. Although I like it, that's the kind of piece that I think you are hearing, Rick. "Storm," "Static," and "Sleep" are the three that have less of an emphasis on crescendos, but there still are some there. AllMusicGuide doesn't put GYBE! in the prog section, but the "Post-Rock/Experimental, Indie Rock, Space Rock, Experimental Rock" section. I think the Post-Rock and Experimental Rock tags are appropriate, rather than a "pure" prog tag. Although I would make the case that GYBE! is one of the more progressive of the Post-Rock bands (along with Billy Mahonie, Mogwai, Tortoise, Tarentel, Fontanelle, Pele, etc...).
Like Jim, I'm loving this discussion (especially since it's 'my fault'
).
Peace out.