Cast from the Platform

Alone I Admire, Auburn Lull's wonderful debut, was easily one of the more accomplished ambient rock albums. Drifting slowly along, it painted dreamy imagery of desert sands, grassy fields and falling snow. After five years, the eagerly awaited follow-up could have gone in a new direction, but the Michigan quartet (with help from Andrew Prinz of dream pop band Mahogany) plays it safe with another dose of peaceful atmospherics. Cast from the Platform, however, lacks the grandiose crescendos found on its predecessor, instead relying on textures and effects (for good measure, the band partially recorded in an echo chamber and grain silo). While those elements are beautiful, it doesn't create glorious, individual moments. As a whole, it's still sublime with a slew of magical guitar effects and whispery vocals which few other bands have mastered. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another five years for Auburn Lull's next installment.