MY EDUCATION - Schiphol LP

Austin’s instrumental rock collective MY EDUCATION – comprised of Brian Purington, Chris Hackstie, Earl Bowers, James Alexander, Kirk Laktas, and Scott Telles – is coming at us full force with the exclusive premiere of their phenomenal 9 track album, Schiphol. “Intro” provides a mysterious listening plane for us, as it winds through two minutes and forty seconds of eery layers. Second track “Open Marriages” wastes almost no time getting to the point, operating at midtempo, the crashing of the cymbals throughout giving fodder to the emotional landscape as indicated by the title. It lays itself to rest amongst a cacophony of sound, resembling an almost Irish-influenced folk rock vibe.
But that’s not a new thing for my education. If nothing else, this band knows how to evoke emotion simply by layering instrumentals in such an elegant and thought-provoking way. That ideal never falters, and finds itself evermore present in tracks like “Krampus” which – upon further research – looks to be a nod to a half goat half demon anthropomorphic creature in folklore. Widely known for punishing bad children during the Christmas season, you can find your nerves tightening as the bass and electric guitar weave their way into your soul frantically.