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Jun 09, 2022 Web Exclusive By Ian King

There was not a more exciting time to be a follower of post-rock than the early 2000s. Bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and Sigur Rós were putting out original and impactful records. Tristeza would come to your town on tour and bring The Mercury Program with them, and then months later The Mercury Program would come back to your town and bring Maserati with them. It felt as if there was meaning and connection in the music beyond mere style.

The Language of Cities was technically Maserati’s second release, but for most listeners back then it was their introduction to the Athens, Georgia, instrumental group. It is a patient and varied collection of eight songs that glide through fluctuating atmospheres as much as they rise and fall in volume. The album’s strength comes as much from the ephemeral bliss of “Ambassador of Cinema” and “There Will Always Be Someone Behind You” (which emanates warmth despite the potentially creepy interpretation of its title) as it does the distortion swells of “The Language” and “Cities.”

Five years later in 2007, Maserati would reemerge on record significantly changed, with drummer Jerry Fuchs as the sensational new engine of the band. Even after Fuchs’ tragic passing, Maserati stayed centered on muscular grooves. It’s a sound that has served them well and carried them beyond the post-rock tag into a category of their own, and as a side effect has made sure that The Language of Cities remains a rare gem in Maserati’s catalog. (www.ihaveadagger.net)

Author rating: 7.5/10