Explosions in the Sky

There's something vaguely unsettling about not being able to find the words to describe an album that doesn't have any words to begin with. All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, the fifth studio album from Explosions in the Sky, is the kind of epic, introspective soundscape that fans have come to expect from the Austin, Texas, all-instrumental demigods. This time, though, something positively magical has been captured. Whereas the foursome's previous albums left you longing for front-row tickets to its next concert, Everyone hits with a blistering intensity that could knock over the lamp in your listening room. Within the first few seconds of "The Birth and Death of the Day," the album's opening track, a thick wall of drums cascades over careening guitars, creating a humming cacophony of sound that weaves in and out of every song. Still, Explosions hasn't lost its ear for melody. When the band's manic, screaming guitars aren't crashing down all around, the disc elevates the sonic discourse with nuanced fills and thoughtful hooks that don't wear thin, even after 20 listens. And trust us — you're going to know what that 20th listen sounds like.