Tristeza - Fate Unfolds

Read my entire review on The Silent Ballet

At a brief thirty minutes, I would have preferred to have heard more edgy compositions from this veteran band.  The album isn't bad; in fact, it's pretty diverse stylistically speaking, but as it is with most of the band's albums, it isn't all that gripping either.  It's Tortoise as a still-life painting.  Tristeza has become one of the most successful instrumental bands around, having toured since its foundation in San Diego in 1997.  The band's truncated song times and digestible melodies are a big reason, and they've helped put post-rock on the radar.  Unfortunately, despite the band's skill and relevance, looking at this radar is like turning on the Weather Channel and seeing a bunch of green splats.  Just a bunch of pretty rain.  Where's the red thunderstorm?  The F5 monkey wrench? Tristeza is content to keep it chill.  Damn the need for experiments.  We're paintin' flowers here.