August transforms Scree from a guitar-bass-drums trio into a fuller big-band palette by adding strings, horns, woodwinds, and steel guitar that steer the music toward slowed-down Western swing. The core trio of Ryan El-Solh, Carmen Quill, and Jason Burger favors meticulous, symphonic-style arrangements over surf-band ferocity, with individual performances taking prominence. Quill's melodic basslines stand out on tracks like "White Roses" and "My Life Through the Eyes of a Cat," while Burger brings a country-gentleman touch to the drums. A faint organ underpins many pieces, and occasional free, volcanic passages and horn-guitar tangles add controlled intensity without devolving into skronk.
The core trio of guitarist Ryan El-Solh, bassist Carmen Quill, and drummer Jason Burger approach their craft less with the ferocity of a surf band than the meticulous ear for arrangements one might associate with the symphonic post-rock extravaganzas of the late '90s, like Jim O'Rourke's or Dirty Three's Horse Stories. While Jasmine worked well because of the way the band pushed and pulled each other in different directions, here their interplay is secondary to the way each steps up to the plate:
here their interplay is secondary to the way each steps up to the plate: Quill makes her bass sing on "White Roses" and "My Life Through the Eyes of a Cat," and Burger, who has played with songwriting legend Rodney Crowell, has a country gentleman's touch on the drums. There's often a faint organ trickling at the bottom of the arrangements, like an underground river winding through the album's subconscious.
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