“Climb Up” is the new LP from Apse, an American rock band originally from Connecticut that have undergone a lot of changes to their line-up and fundamental sound. The one constant through the band’s evolution has been guitarist Robert Toher. With their various line-ups, they have passed through phases of instrumental ambient rock, more structured post-rock with vocals, and dark, rhythm-heavy pop. Their new release continues their evolution toward more and more accessible music, but it retains elements of their ambient and shoe-gazer roots.

The first three tracks range around a lot. 'Blown Doors' features a tribal beat, piano, and high warbling vocals. '3.1' is led by jangling guitars and seems to strive for a U2-esque feel. 'All Mine' is a slow, simple song with a muddy feel. The variety is interesting, but to be honest, the songs themselves didn’t do a lot for me.

Things pick up considerably from there though. 'Rook' reminds me of something by Troy Gregory (The Witches, The Dirtbombs, etc.) with sinister guitar and heavy percussion. 'In Gold' is a solid groove with the whole band making equal contributions to the sound. The rest of the album is filled with melodies that are sometimes strange but often appealing. Highlights include the oddly plodding instrumental 'Tropica,' the interestingly arranged 'The Age,' and the poppy, accessible 'Closure.'


I ripped 5 of these tracks to my iPod, even though I liked more than that. I have a feeling that this disc will be better enjoyed listened to straight through, almost as though it were a concept album. The underlying musical voice shared by these disparate songs unites them and makes them flow from one to the next. Part of what is enjoyable is hearing the guys take a different style out for a spin.

Apse seems to have left some of their post-rock sound behind to reach a broader audience. There isn’t a song on "Climb Up” longer than 5 ˝ minutes, unlike “Spirit,” which had 4 songs over 7 minutes and “Apse,” on which half the songs were over 6 minutes. The songs on “Climb Up” are shorter and more radio friendly. Still, the sound is often edgy. Toher and company seem to have brought what elements they could from their esoteric past and injected them into a more mainstream style. So while some fans of their previous work may be disappointed it may well be that more people will find “Climb Up” engaging.