I am an Anthony DelPlato fan. I would like the world to know. I called his previous offering, 8 Old Vines, 2012's best local album in my year end best-of list. So of course, when he released We Will Still Be Here Tomorrow with Steak and Cake records, I jumped at the chance to write about it.
We Will Still Be Here Tomorrow is a continuation of DelPlato's knack for seemingly perfect 90's-tinged emo. His music is often atmospheric and ethereal, but no matter what, there's always that element of humanity left in it. I'm trying not to sound cheesy, but that's what I've always liked about bands like The Appleseed Cast or The Get Up Kids... They have this raw sense of sincerity in their songs that can't just be phoned in. That's where the emo explosion of the mid-2000's lost its way - the market became flooded with a bunch of mediocre dudes who knew they were sad, but weren't intelligent enough to express it the way DelPlato can.
We Will Still Be Here Tomorrow is a little less urgent than 8 Old Vines, but I think his past two EPs have mirrored the seasons when they were released. Now that I have heard both releases, 8 Old Vines struck me as the summer version and Tomorrow is the more calm, beautiful winterized version. Case in point, the album opener "Iced Over." The song kicks off with a windy sound effect and twinkling bells, joined shortly by guitar and an electric piano. It's reminiscent of the winter and many of the tones sound almost crystalline.
It's rare that a six-minute song can keep my attention span (admittedly, a weakness of mine), but "Blueprints for a Bird's Nest" is one hell of a song. DelPlato really lets loose here. There are electric drums and acoustic drums blended seamlessly. Not to mention the section of bombastic cymbal hits that is answered immediately with a quick 16th-note hi hat beat. Somehow, what could have turned out as a jumble of parts has been meshed together so perfectly, culminating in a huge climax. Right about at the 3:55 mark, I got shivers.
Interestingly enough, and I'm not sure I'll ever get the chance to say this again, my two favorite songs on this album pass the six-minute mark. "Sandra Underneath Sandra" is another DelPlato classic. This song is just beautiful buildup after unbelievable build up. I know I said that 8 Old Vines was a bit more urgent than Tomorrow, but Tomorrow probably takes the cake for epic-ness.
I should mention, and there's not one specific song that I can pinpoint, but DelPlato's songs are full off little riffs and little hooks that are not necessarily right in your face - they are the little flourishes in the guitar harmonies that make music like this so enjoyable. Every song seems like there are two guitars spiraling into each other infinitely. DelPlato's songs are great regardless, but I have a feeling it's these little minutia that DelPlato hopes people are going to notice. To me, it's more than minutia in the grand scheme of things, and trust me, I noticed.
All in all, We Will Still Be Here Tomorrow is another amazing offering from Anthony DelPlato in what I can only hope is a long discography of near-perfect (or seriously, so perfect) 90's tinged atmospheric rock. As of right now, he's offering Tomorrow for a "pay what you want" rate. Don't stall.
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