Long Hallways’ music has the structural hallmarks of post-rock: instrumental songs, five to eight minutes long, each containing a few twists and turns along the way. Threaded throughout is the shimmering electric guitar work of Daniel Staton, who leads the Portland quintet into glorious crescendos and satisfying comedowns.
In this way, Long Hallways recalls post-rock’s standard-bearer, Explosions in the Sky. But where that band regularly rides its jams into outer space, Long Hallways is more comfortable planting their flag atop terrestrial peaks. On their new album Close Your Eyes to Travel, the band spices up its post-rock with excursions into jazz, math rock, and more. The result is an earthier, more motley take on the genre.