The number of atmospheric rock bands has skyrocketed recently. Dublin, Ireland's Parhelia, a group of "post-rockers," play very welcoming and groove-oriented songs. This instrumental four-piece doesn't sound "groovy," but the rhythm section is extremely tight. Guitarists Greg Clarke and Diarmuid Shore create pleasant, melodic parts that keep me interested (even without crescendos!). "Ebb/Flow" contains cool delay effects combined with sudden changes from clean to distorted. In order to stand out, an instrumental band's music really has to capture one's attention. Parhelia write decent songs, but none of them move me to replay the EP. First Light isn't an epic release, but it's trying very hard.
