14. Grails - Burden of Hope
Like the [bad word] to shed its light on a frost-covered morning, the drowsy melody of "The Burden of Hope" opens Grails' first full length. Back when the band had a full-time violinist, Grails were plotting a confidently moody course through territory tread by the likes of Mogwai and the Dirty Three. The eastern, retro influence that sent them into the cosmos at the end of the decade can be heard within the scales used by the violin and the lovely guitar on this track. Like a flower wilting in reverse, the song gains momentum and sheds some melancholic skin with some loud, sizzling cymbals and guitar throttling by the end. The tracks' classical roots set the tone for a band that has a unique and majestic take on [bad word] rock, one who continues to push far outside the norm. (Nayt Keane)