Grails @ Nice 'n' Sleazy, 14 May

 

From their early self-financed EPs to the release of The Burden of Hope onwards, the lush instrumental rock of Grails has been revered by fans of Dirty Three, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and other such stalwarts of post-rock infamy. Of late, the nebulous Portland outfit – sometimes a four-piece, otherwise a sextet – have become a bit of a rare sight on these shores. Whereas they used to come close to honorary EU residents for the sheer amount of touring time spent here – conversely ignoring their home in the northwest – they’ve largely remained stateside in recent years. Let us be thankful then that they have found their way back. [Lauren Mayberry]