The Khost - Waking Indigo

The Khost

Waking Indigo
Posters on Walls Records; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

The Khost is a band from Austin, Texas comprised of Brad Grosvold (guitar/vocals), Robert Avila (guitar/vocals), Aron Fernandez (bass/vocals), Jonathan Shanthamurthy (keyboard/vocals) and Rudy Rivera (drums/vocals) who recently released a three-song EP entitled Waking Indigo. 

Their style of music shouldn’t be unfamiliar to people who have been on the pulse of indie rock for the last couple of years. Some obvious comparisons to indie rock behemoths such as Grizzly Bear and Local Natives are obvious but lesser known older acts such as Yume Bitsu come to mind as well. Like all the previously mentioned bands The Khost uses reverb like it’s another member of the band. Their clean guitars and vocal harmonies are often gorgeous but nothing new among the plethora of post-rock/shoegaze hybrids we have seen in recent years. That being said The Khost is doing it better than a majority of them, which is an accomplishment in itself.

The EP starts off with “Parallelogram,” which initially combines a field recording of waves, electric piano and guitar. It’s an hypnotic yet serene flurry of notes that eventually gets swept up by lush drums and well implemented vocals.The DIY is above average but still a bit shy of something you would expect from a more established act. In particular the lead vocal could have been treated better.

The second track “Feathers” has the most energy out of the three tracks but still contains some excellent instrumental work. Lyrically, the song is a mix of ambiguity and poignancy. The vocalist sings, “Take yourself from all the sadness. Look away and don't come back. Of course we will all miss you. Maybe we will meet again.”

The seven-minute closer “Golden Bodies” was the highlight of the album. It also contains the most open space and the band takes their time building up the song. The guitar melodies were the most memorable on the album but the same could be said about the vocals. There aren’t many lyrics but the song doesn’t need it. The only lyrics are “In my dreams I will Die, I will rise one last time. I will shine oh so bright, I will be soon at peace. Lets all say farewell.”

Waking Indigo is a solid EP with well-written songs but I can’t help but think that the band has more in them. They are on to something and have undeniable talent. If they can break the mold on their next release The Khost will become a serious contender in the arena of music.

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