A Whisper In The Noise are a hard band to try to describe. Think the brilliance of groups like Mogwai, Sigur Rós, Massive Attack, Radiohead and nine inch nails, and then think again. Eloquent, expressive and intelligent all throughout; The bands gorgeous soundscapes are nothing short of awe-inspiring and are entirely capable of fully encompassing the listener as they fearlessly run through a dizzyingly expansive gamut of textures and ambiance.

Almost continually draped in a cloak of downbeat dreariness, haunting vocals ethereally float overtop of drums, cello, programming, horns, piano, and more to construct the fragile framework that fleshes out the bands somber material. Starkly vague and yet upon further listens, almost suffocating in scope, the music contained here is cleverly constructed and superbly produced thanks to the talents of the ever infamous Steve Albini, who along with the bands West Thordson helped capture the unique aesthetic of this release.

Though for the most part a depressive affair, "Through The Ides Of March" still seems like an album that occasionally glimmers with livelier emotions - albeit in very dim flashes. The unexpected NIN like "Seeing You" is a skin crawling instrumental piece made all the more alienating by its brevity, while "The Song You Hate" could have also easily spawned from Reznor's ever fertile loins. And then there are tracks like "The Wall Of You" which exude the bands experimental post-rock tendencies and "In The Dark", which comes off like an organic Massive Attack. With all these clashing ideas and directions in place the album can feel a bit clustered and in truth this may be its most fatal flaw. Its often simmering pace also leaves something more to be desired, but with a bit of patience, its true genius often shines through and should leave no fan of musical intricacy and artistry disappointed.