Music, at its heart, is a conveyance of emotion from one party to another. From the ecstatic highs to the inevitable sorrows, there is a sound, a chord, a rhythm for every possible state of human existence. Unfortunately, there are many out there who are unaware of this method of emotional communication, and go most of their lives without experiencing a truly musical moment; where the music you listen to envelops your entire psyche and controls what you think and feel, be it for an instant, or an hour. For those who are unaware of such a feeling, or those who have been sifting through record upon record to hold witness to such a moment, the Magnum Opus of passion has been born; conceived by long-time Des Moines natives, The Autumn Project.

The Autumn Project's long-awaited fourth album should lift the spirits of post-rock aficionados who have been unimpressed with the relatively slow year. This We Take With Us follows the trajectory of the band's previous work, offering a delectable variety of energetic instrumental rock. Eight tracks range from five to fifteen minutes in length and span such unwieldy genres as post-metal to spaced-out ambience, ultimately creating a work of art that is simultaneously heavy and sophisticated. TAP's songwriting has tremendously improved over its career, and the longer tracks on the new album develop with delightful ambition and outstanding precision. Few albums this year have rocked this hard while also acknowledging that there are more important things than simply rocking out. Recommended for fans of Caspian, Joy Wants Eternity, and Saxon Shore.