All native to the Pacific Northwest, the members of Post Harbor create incredibly epic, sweeping, and melodic songs. Often compared to Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros, and Sunny Day Real Estate, the five-piece released their debut record in 2007 and quickly impressed with their powerful sound, both recorded and live. Local press exclaimed they had an "otherworldly effect" and displayed a "fluid beauty of simple strings and bursts of energy via explosive feedback".
Having developed a quick and meaningful buzz, the band was invited to play live on KEXP 90.3 and KNDD 107.7 and were able to jump on impressive shows with These Arms are Snakes, Common Market, and Kane Hodder.
The band then took the end of 2008 to prepare and record their follow-up, "They can't hurt you if you don't believe in them". Set to release on February 23, 2010, the band has created their most dynamic yet controlled record to date. It can both burst with intense energy and swirl into a contemplative calm while never losing momentum. Though broken into 10 songs, the album feels like one song with many parts sweeping from idea to idea. Led by Anthony Carlucci (vocals, guitar), Brandon Bogan (guitar, keys, bows), Kenny Ball (bass), Colin Isler (cello, guitar), and Aaron Gustafson (drums), Post Harbor have crafted one of the finest releases of early 2010 Ð one that will likely help you understand why KEXP declared that maybe Post Harbor "will soon get the attention they deserve."
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“Never having been short on creative, luminous indie rock, the Great Northwest delivers yet again a fantastic offering…majestic, soaring and intricate, this is one of the few (mostly) instrumental discs that doesn't find itself merely being background music.”
– Go211.com
"The shoegazing quintet Post Harbor is like Sunny Day Real Estate's doting younger cousin—and in this city, that's not a bad thing. A lot of us have been craving some good, moody post-rock since Sunny Day's triumphant reunion show at the Paramount last year, and the songs on Post Harbor's They Can't Hurt You if You Don't Believe in Them fit the description perfectly. It's intensely visceral stuff: Melting vocals drift in and out among bleak, empathic guitar lines. At times, the songs drop to nothing but a fluid cello melody or some thin keyboard notes. The effect is almost gaspingly beautiful. It's music that creeps up before crashing into you like cold waves on a seashore—just as the best parts of SDRE's self-titled "pink album" does."
- Seattle Weekly
"Snap out of your MGMT and Fleet Foxes phase and dig this: post-rock that doesn’t suck. This record promises to lull you into a false sense of security and then roundhouse kick you in the face with a dynamic range of euphoric sounds. It’s nice to listen to something that doesn’t pander to an audience and is instead, genuine to itself. In short: Post Harbor has single-handedly made me excited and hopeful for obscure rock bands in 2010."
- Stereo Subversion
"Moody and melodious, with a strong sense of intricate and involving harmony, exceptionally rich, complex, and often surprising full-bore orchestral arrangements, and passionate vocals, this album makes a lasting and immediate impression that’s mighty tough to shake. The thick and brooding atmosphere of despair and melancholy (the weeping strings are simply gorgeous) further enhances the overall sterling quality. Kudos are also in order for the smart and thoughtful songwriting. A hugely satisfying and impressive artistic achievement."
- Jersey Beat
"Imagine melodic, ambient music that gets you swaying with your eyes closed as you are swept into a dreamy state. Suddenly, your sweet trance is interrupted by crashing guitars, drums, and vocals that are reminiscent of hardcore and metal music. The moods and musical approaches change constantly, and often when you least expect it. It’s an interesting mix of emo and post-rock with sounds that might normally clash, but Post Harbor has a talent for blending the timing of the long stretches of synths with their emo-like vocals in a way that works quite well... Post Harbor debuted with an album back in 2007, but it slipped under the radar, and the band is still largely unknown and underrated. All of this is set to change with the coming of their sophomore album, The can’t hurt you if you don’t believe in them..."
- Seattleshowgal.com
"A Pageant's End isn't post-hardcore, post-rock, emo, punk, or rock. It's an
album of music that pulls from all of those genres. It's very technical
music, as the bass and drums have incredibly complex parts, and the guitar
lines occasionally exist more for their rhythmic power than their melodic
power... They don't write music to make people dance; if anything, they
write music to make people think. Should you pick up A Pageant's End by
Oregon Donor? If you like thoughtful, artistic rock, most definitely. But be
warned. It's not easy listening, and Oregon Donor didn't intend it to be
that way. Those who expend the effort will be rewarded, though. I can
guarantee you that."
- Independentclauses.com
"It's like the whole post-rock movement never splintered. This latest from Post Harbor is full of noise, delicate ruminations and achingly gorgeous arcs of sound. Song structure? Strong sucksure. But that's okay. I'm always interested in finding new ways to listen to music. A treat for all the senses."
- Aiding & Abetting
"Without question, post harbor. is easily one of Seattle's most underrated
bands at the moment? the rare occasion where I'm immediately captivated
from the first few bars of actual music that I hear. Most of the record is
instrumental with bits of vocals between grand parts which ultimately brings
about comparisons to Explosions In The Sky and Sigur Rós. There are too many
bands that seem like they intentionally dumb down their music or ability to
play music to sell records or downloads and post harbor. doesn't insult
people by making music for fickle scene kids. It's challenging and enjoyable
and definitely the kind of thing that people should be listening to.?"
- Redefine
"Post Harbor not only blur the line between genres they transcend
boundaries... pushes the limits with amibitious arrangements creating
gorgeous and complex musical landscapes. Expansive and reflective without
compromising the band's focused precision; Post Harbor has the ability to
transport the listener to another time and place."
- Music is Amazing
"If there's any hope for what people generally refer to as 'post-rock', its
in the hands of bands like Seattle's Post Harbor. A far cry from the
vocal-free-gain-level exercises of much of the previous decade's post rock,
Post Harbor use well timed vocals, visceral songwriting and pacing, and a
wide yet consistent palette of sounds to stake their claim... This album
reminded me why I fell in love with this style of music in the first place,
and I'm surprised and refreshed its the first 2010 album I've really taken
to."
- When We Were Younger & Better
"...an ambitious effort, comparable to that of The Appleseed Cast's 'Low
Level Owl' series in a way that conventional indie songwriting is thrown out
the window in favour of a fuller more varied and epic approach. If you can
spare 50 minutes of your time on this record then you will be heavily
rewarded for doing so..."
- Writing in Basic (UK)
"...reminiscent of such a fantastic sound... a very exceptional
masterpiece!"
- STM Online (Japan)
"When it comes to post rock, a band?s material is often judged by how much
atmosphere it is able to create and what kind of impact it has on a
listener. Considering how many acts have joined the genre in recent years,
those two traits have been able to make or break which ones become staples
and which ones fade away. Seattle?s Post Harbor is one of the latest post
rock acts that are capable of making an impression, as their sophomore
effort They Can't Hurt You if You Don't Believe in Them features stunning
arrangements that are sure to stick with listeners for some time. If you?re
a fan of the genre, this is a disc that you must add to your collection.?
- Cosmosgaming.com
"They Can't Hurt You If You Don't Believe In Them is soft, ambient, and
melodic, but with that definite edge..."
- Fist Fight at the Art House
"This album has all of the post-rock idioms rolled into one: guitar
noodling, buildups, atmospheric pieces, overarching melodies, heavy parts,
quiet parts, heavy/quiet/heavy parts, all of it. The members of Post Harbor
studied post-rock, took it apart and put it back together expertly on ?They
Can?t Hurt You If You Don?t Believe In Them? Post Harbor has set the bar for
best album of 2010..."
- Independentclauses.com
"Post Harbor?s music makes me want to cry it?s so good. Beautiful rock that
sounds amazing live. If you get a chance to see them? DO IT!"
- Raising Ebenezer
"Intense, ethereal melodies... [Post Harbor's] heavy focus on
instrumentation makes for an almost otherworldly effect when the band plays
live."
- Seattle Sound Magazine
"Post Harbor successfully captures the same dark and lonely moods of its
predecessor [Sunny Day Real Estate] while occasionally offsetting those
shadows with the fluid beauty of simple strings and bursts of energy via
explosive feedback."
- The Stranger
"Post Harbor produced blanketing, majestic and sometimes ominous layers of
sound É The members of post harbor were fully involved in the music they
played. This made for an engaging show."
- Mercurial Sound
"Post Harbor blends cascading guitars, languid tempos, and melancholy lyrics
for a lofi extravaganza. But these guys aren't sissy rockers by any stretch
of the imagination, and they use speed and volume on an as-needed basis."
- The Weekly Volcano
"[Praenumbra] has been seeing some action and for good reason. Post Harbor
creates songs that begin with all the beauty of a Sigur Ros tune, only to
dial up the percussion and angst, triggering reminders of Sunny Day Real
Estate and all of their lo-fi bliss. These guys have been hitting up the
clubs in hopes of spreading the word. The result has been unanimously
positive, a sign that maybe these guys will soon get the attention they
deserve."
- KEXP
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