What makes Second so effective is the trio’s experience. Vitiello, Canty, and Rowe each bring something refined and practiced to the table. The record is skillfully composed and beautifully produced, making it no surprise that it’s also deeply satisfying.
A more robust and varied project
As its title suggests, Second is the sophomore release from the trio of Stephen Vitiello, Brendan Canty, and Hahn Rowe—three musicians with distinctly different backgrounds. Their debut, released two years earlier, was a single long-form piece. In contrast, Second is a more robust and varied project.
Vitiello‘s ambient and electroacoustic sensibilities blend seamlessly with Rowe’s classical flourishes and Canty’s groove-oriented playing—familiar to anyone remotely into post-hardcore. While there isn’t much hardcore on this LP, the album often stays within the broader realm of rock, particularly post-rock. Elements of krautrock occasionally surface, alongside ambient soundscapes and intricate looping that enrich the live instrumentation. The result strikes a compelling balance between mystical atmosphere and tightly arranged jams. Even if that contrast sounds questionable on paper, Second is surprisingly cohesive and quite exquisite.
Personally, I gravitate more toward the atmospheric pieces. Their progression is consistently engaging, and the album’s excellent mixing helps these tracks shine even more. That said, whenever the drums and bass begin to lock into a groove, I’m instantly hooked. The production overall is noteworthy, but the drums in particular stand out—they’re soft, clean, and remarkably well-captured. The bass also carries a satisfying depth throughout.
Still, the album’s atmosphere remains its most captivating quality. It’s entrancing. While there are no traditional Middle Eastern instruments—aside from a hurdy-gurdy appearance on the closing track—the melodic influence is unmistakable, especially on tracks like “Rhythmic Rhodes” and “Rasun112.” That exotic flair gives the album its magic, particularly when the lush atmosphere collides with funkier, groove-driven passages.
Atmosphere remains its most captivating quality ::
The opener, “Last Minute Guitar,” introduces all of this beautifully. While it’s not a personal favorite, I appreciate it as an effective entry point. It gracefully showcases many of the album’s underlying tones, and its slow progression sets up the bass as the track’s central voice. The next track, “Piece 2 at 77BPM,” picks up the pace with a similar structural build, but crescendos into one of the record’s most energetic moments. The groove here is infectious, complemented by wild guitar wails that introduce unexpected textures.
The first half is filled with highlights. Track three (“Rhythmic Rhodes”) is a standout, built around looped guitars that fade in and out, creating a hypnotic trance as Rowe’s strings gently glide over the top. Calling it “enveloping” would be an understatement—it feels like being pulled into a kaleidoscopic wormhole. In contrast, the following track, “#6,” is chaotic and dissonant. Syncopated rhythms from drums, acoustic guitar, and violin clash and collide, resulting in a track that feels messy yet strangely irresistible thanks to its swaggering groove.
The second half’s highlight is “Rasun112,” which also happens to be my favorite overall. Its looped guitar feels almost like something out of a glitch record, but what really elevates the track is the percussion—elegant and almost new age in tone. The piece doesn’t build to a climax, but its atmosphere is mesmerizing. The closer, “Mrphgtrs1,” follows a similar path, though it’s even more subdued. The bass feels ballad-like, slow and pensive, while the strings gradually swell to provide a beautifully fitting conclusion.
There’s also a digital bonus track, “#12.” While it’s another solid cut in the same groovy vein as others on the album, it doesn’t feel essential to the overall experience.
If all post-rock—or ambient, or whatever genre label fits this—were as compelling as Second, I’d be among the genre’s most enthusiastic fans. But it’s also clear that what makes this album so effective is the trio’s experience. Vitiello, Canty, and Rowe each bring something refined and practiced to the table. The record is skillfully composed and beautifully produced, making it no surprise that it’s also deeply satisfying.
All tracks were written by Stephen Vitiello, Brendan Canty, and Hahn Rowe, with mixing by Rowe and mastering by Alex Ferrer. Canty played drums, bass, and piano; Rowe handled strings and guitar; Vitiello contributed guitar, Rhodes, sampler, loops, and modular synth. Guest performances include Geologist on hurdy-gurdy (“Mrphgtrs1”) and Don Godwin on dustpan (“Rasun112”). Canty and Geologist were recorded by Godwin at Tonal Park; Rowe recorded at home. Artwork by José Quintanar, design by Basora. Special thanks to Daniel Blumin, Andrew Khedoori, and VCUarts. balmat.bandcamp.com.
Second is available on Balmat. [Bandcamp]
