It's not every day you find songs about jailed chess champions, is it? Not only that, but A Rook House For Bobby is one of the few songs about jailed chess champions that is a perfectly realised composition.
iLiKETRAiNS take the orchestral post-rock of Sigur Ros (although this single in particular recalls Stafraenn Hakon) and couple it with vocals that sound like a heavily medicated Neil Hannon.
All of this may sound a little serious and heavy, but with a deftness of touch A Rook House For Bobby builds from a solitary guitar line drenched with delay to an explosive and rewarding finale. It is the continual shifting of mood within the song, however, that makes it truly astounding. Instruments are introduced, withdrawn and introduced again with expert precision to create a feel of unease and beauty simultaneously. It is unlikely that you will find a more graceful song this year.
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