Goodbye, Kings

The Cliché Of Falling Leaves

Overdrive, 2022

9/10

Listen to The Cliché Of Falling Leaves

The 4th album from the Milan art-rock outfit Goodbye, Kings these 5 lengthy tracks bring in 16 musicians and many instruments including sax, clarinet, trombone, tuba, guitars and keys, plus more, for a very diverse and exploratory body of work.

“Part 1- Autumn” starts the listen with much atmosphere, as mystery and darkness enter the low buzzing and cinematic swells of post-rock experimentalism, and “Part II- Winter” follows with manipulated brass and bass thumping that’s quite ominous in its busy delivery.

Halfway through, “Part III- Spring” uses twinkling keys and warm acoustic guitar in its more folk-friendly display, while “Part IV- Summer” is a much more jarring track that balances tension and grace with a meticulous nature.

The album exits on “Part V- Autumn… Again”, and builds into a richly textured and densely packed album highlight that showcases so much chemistry between the many noisemakers present.

An extremely creative affair that takes bits of jazz, folk and post-rock, and applies it to a formula that embraces psychedelic nods, ambient swells and post-metal moments, Goodbye, Kings make for a very exciting and innovative instrumental listen.

Travels well with: Alessandro Incorvaia- It Emerged To Hold Me; Kitch- New.Strife.Lands