Small Stones

Though many of the landmark bands that changed the course of post-rock in the late '90s are gone, there are a few labels that keep the house lights on just in case there are still fans of the sound out there who crave more. One of these labels, Temporary Residence, has become a haven for the sound circa 2005, and the latest offering from Bellini only solidifies that notion further. Returning three years after their debut, Bellini reenlisted friend/sound guru Steve Albini for Small Stones, and the results are exactly what you'd expect from an Albini production: fierce, crisp, and confrontational. Bellini follow Albini's lead nicely, bringing glacier-paced drones and mixed-meter uptempo numbers to peak boiling points, with Girls Against Boys alumnus Alexis Fleisig being the central force keeping everything glued together nicely. There's nothing groundbreaking on Small Stones, but Bellini have definitely pushed themselves to explore new territories and dynamics that weren't found on their first record, a feat that is no small accomplishment by any stretch. ~ Rob Theakston