Shy, Low is exquisite instrumental music crafted by four guys who used to play post-metal. Atmospheric and winsome, 2013’s Binary Opposition takes its sweet time growing bare, balanced guitar picking over the slow swell of hushed cymbals. The Richmond band’s influences, ranging from Romantic and Impressionistic Classical music to post-hardcore, all manage to peek through; the way the delicate ambience sprawls into something you can totally headbang to evokes a mentality similar to that of Cloakroom or Set and Setting. With Binary’s Opposition’s shortest track clocking in at 9:22, it’ll be fascinating to see these songs built live.

Locals Blackrune open.

This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2015.