I love music that builds to a swell.

I’m not strictly talking orchestral pieces, although I’m certainly not adverse to a night out at the symphony.  I’m talking about a song that naturally layers upon itself, a coccoon slowly cracking open and ultimately falling away, freeing a creature in flight.  I enjoy dissecting the layers, am intrigued when a song that begins as pleasant listening while working forces me to pause in contemplation.

Hamilton band Gdansk, the brainchild of Tim Mann, believes in layers heavy and light.  On their debut EP, track “Adam’s Needle” is one of those Rubik’s Cube tunes:  you twist it about, study from all sides and maybe, just maybe, you come to the final image intended by its creator.  And even if you don’t, toying with the challenge is the true pleasure of it all.

Watch the video for “Adam’s Needle” below and slip over to their official site, where you can sample more of Gdansk’s brand of ambient alt-rock.