Extol has been popping up on best-of lists for 2013, and now they can add NPR as a notch in their bedpost. Lars Gotrich (nice last name) placed Extol’s self-titled release on their list. Because they believe “numerical ordering is silly,” the accolade is the list itself.
But eight years later, Extol returned with a remarkable self-titled album that makes sense of its diverse discography. Extol does what Extol does best, mostly because guitarist Ole Børud’s back in the fold, composing exploratory riffs that zig when they should zag, while retaining a certain amount of stateliness to the complex structure of songs like shapeshifting epic “Wastelands” and the impressive ballad, “Faltering Moves.” Gotrich
The band does not often tour, and this self-titled album was their first one after years of silence.
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