REVIEW: Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own

Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own

Release Date: January 26th, 2010
Label: Secret City Records









BRANDON RAE:

Basia Bulat tip-toed onto the music scene a few years ago with absolute humility. Her debut LP preferred the cozy candlelit bedroom to the social gathering scene. The words were delicate. The tone was pastel. The voice was innocent. Oh, My Darling was a beautiful potpourri of suppressed emotion. It left me with both satisfaction and dubiety; A toast to timidness, a prayer for progression.

Heart Of My Own is the “coming out” affair I had deeply anticipated.

The Canadian singer-songwriter I fell in love with years ago happily broke her training wheels into pieces. Her sophomore effort is a liberating collection of scintillating spontaneity. The decision to break out brings forth a larger supporting cast. This young lady who mostly kept things personal years ago has welcomed more of everything; Strings, horns, percussion, and background vocals to generate a sound that’s as refreshing as it is joyously triumphant.

Opening track “Go On” is a fine representation of Basia’s personal emancipation. The calm acoustic strings grab onto the combative drum line, ascending into a flurry of strings and sharp keys. Basia adapts to the storm brilliantly with this newfound relentlessness. It showcases a new color in her palette while proving that she offers a well-balanced arrangement. First single “Gold Rush” encompasses an aggressive background with a vulnerable center, brilliantly blending a mosaic of sincere feelings.

This is not to say that Bulat has exiled herself from that candlelit bedroom. A quick ear to the gentle “Sparrow” or the profound poignancy of “Sugar And Spice” comforts a demographic that was attached to her early innocence. Heart Of My Own is wonderfully crafted, spreading her catalog of moods around to maintain a fresh listen from beginning to end.

Her voice may forever tremble, but Basia Bulat finally stands tall.

REVIEW: Beach House - "Teen Dream"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Judging from Beach House's latest cover, they want to be barely there. Not quite the visual mind-fuck of Animal Collective's Merriweather, the cover for Teen Dream is a kind of perceptual understatement, best seen by shifting your eyes to the side and not looking straight on. Of course, if the Baltimore duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have had any problem, it hasn't been with being seen. Beach House's self-titled first album won critical acclaim all over and paved the way for the languid, if a little too spacey, Devotion in 2008, which won similar critical acclaim. Now the group has returned with their best and most rigorous and taut work to date, Teen Dream.

If I had to poke one well worn criticism at the whole "dream pop" style, its that it relies on mood over structure. Like the phrase "scholarship-athlete" there's a reason that "dream" comes before "pop," but when Beach House is at their best, as they are on this record, their mood and songwriting fits together in harmony. Each track seems to sonically unfold without losing the core of the melody. It's enthralling, nuanced, exciting composition. Listening to this record, you're not letting the sound go by, you're actively being tossed around by the instrumentation, the shifts in tonality, and the gentle hum of Alex and Victoria's voice.

That said, this album feels much more like Alex's album than Victorias. Opener "Zebra" begins with a practiced guitar riff which slowly brings in percussion and vocals. As a setter in style, "Zebra" relies on a really basic pattern of songwriting that Beach House seemed to eschew on previous efforts. But rather than sounding traditional or tried, the reliance on form benefits the group's dreamy sensibilities. I mean, it is called Teen Dream. If you're listening to it, you've signed up for more than your share of swoons.

Perhaps the most subtly invigorating aspect of this album isn't in the music at all, but in the silences. Unlike most things that you hear where it seems that people are banging on instruments to try and fill space, Teen Dream invites silence to poke through. It's kind of Music 101 -- music being the arrangement of sounds and silences. But, in the hands of Victoria and Alex, the silence and notes cultivated seem so impeccably crafted, so well-thought out. The silence between notes allow for the notes to happen: the perception you might have is that your unconscious is playing a record. It's an utterly surprising feeling. This album doesn't fill silence with sound, but molds sound to fit around silence.

Beach House may be intimating that this record is barely here, that it is a bit of salience in your local record store, a subtle thing that's almost overlooked, but it is undeniably a part of you, just as your silences and your teenage dreams.

REVIEW: The Magnetic Fields - Realism

The Magnetic Fields - Realism

Release Date: January 26th, 2010
Label: Nonesuch Records









ZACH THAT:

With David Berman and the Silver Jews disbanding last year, we’re running low when it comes to active music legends. I’m not talking about reunion tours but music legends that are still pumping out quality records. Some active legends that come to mind are Morrissey, Malkmus, Oldham, Coyne, Yorke, Waits, and the focus of this review, the brilliant Stephin Merritt. The guy has been putting out quality records with his band The Magnetic Fields since 1991 (Realism being the tenth studio album) and a slew of other albums with The 6ths, The Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes. Merritt’s last release with The Magnetic Fields, Distortion, left me with a bad taste in my mouth, the album was flat and its most exciting moments seemed forced. Merritt’s genius appeared to be exhausted from the epic 69 Love Songs and worthy follow up, i. Realism isn’t 69 Love Songs, not much can be, but Realism proves that Merritt’s bold voice and emotionally confusing melodies can still deliver a satisfying listen.

After a few spins, I remained astonished how timeless the music felt. Realism could have been written and recorded in any decade 60’s on. This is one part due to The Magnetic Fields returning to a folk sensibility and one part being the patience of the record. A slowly plucked guitar can waddle around for a while and when Merritt decides the time is right, a small piano noise strategically comes creeping in. I’ve always been attracted to the band because of their playfulness with time, but this might be their most successful use of such a technique. Most current music feels incredibly rushed, trying to rush to the hook or next layer of unnecessary sound.

The songs themselves vary in impact and scope, some downright masterpieces…others are knee slapping, dare I use a song title, hootenannies. There are three tracks that stand out as previously stated masterpieces. The opening track “You Must Be Out Of You Mind” is a Magnetic Field’s fan dream track. It feels like a lost 69 Love Songs track that left me grinning after my ears experienced Merritt’s playful take on regret/life/time. If you’re new to The Magnetic Fields, it’s important to point out the beauty in Merrit’s lyrics is the depth of simplicity. Most would think that is a contradictory statement, but Merritt uses the simplest approach to explore hard to crack/wide ranging themes (love, life, art). Example from the opening track: “If you think you can leave the past behind…you must be out of your mind. If you think you can simply press rewind, you must be out of you mind, son, you must be out of you mind.” Simple, but thought provoking. The genius, however, is not in those lines, but the lines that follow. Merritt has established an examination of a broad theme and as displayed in the line above, does so in a simplistic approach. What makes him a lyrical legend is following up simplicity (that which started the listeners thinking) with a powerful lyric that peels away at the theme. “You want what you turned off…turned on.” That line is one for the books. We’ve all thought about life and had that moment where we wish we could go back…but I’ve never heard it so accurately stated in lyrical form.

“Walk A Lonely Road” is another stand out track, sounding oddly Velvet Undergoudish with a fluttering of instruments coming and going with perfect synchronization. Merritt and Claudia Gonson’s voices work the best together they have in years. Gonson has had the tough job of competing with Merritt’s unmistakable and demanding voice, but on Realism and tracks like this specifically, she holds her own.

I very rarely find my two favorite tracks on an album to be the opener and closer, but this is the case with Realism. “From A Sinking Boat” does something that gets me every time. I love when a song can be tempered and evoke incredible emotions. If your hazy on what I’m talking about, this is the song to check out. There are no grandiose surprises, but the result of a bunch of little pieces being perfectly placed results in one of the best tracks I’ve heard in the last few years.

There are only a few complaints to be made about Realism. The problem, and it’s a good one to have, is that due to the major accomplishments of a few tracks, the more playful ones seem a bit out of place. “The Dolls’ Tea Party” and “We Are Having A Hootenanny” are fine songs, but with the bar set so high with the opener, lighter tracks keep this from being an instant classic. Another complaint, and the it’s really unfair, is that Realism will inevitably be compared to The Magnetic Fields’ past works. It’s not as brilliant as 69 Love Songs or as playful as Holiday, but it’s safely my third favorite release from the band…a statement, considering they have been making albums since 1991, that should be taken as a huge compliment. We’ve seen the story over and over in music. Amazing band explodes with three to four amazing albums only to have the musical climate collapse change and release after release they gently fade into mediocrity. Realism proves that the band is as wonderful as ever and the scope of Merritt’s legend has yet to be defined.

REVIEW: Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM

Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM

Release Date: January 26, 2010
Label: Because Music/Atlantic









LYNDSAY HIENEMAN:

On Charlotte Gainsbourg's latest record, IRM, she makes the interesting claim that she's left all her credentials behind. Perhaps Ms. Gainsbourg's definition of credentials greatly differs from the standard description. What more says credentials than being the daughter of iconic French singer-songwriter, Serge Gainsbourg, and 60's sex kitten Jane Birkin? To add to the brilliant credential of artistic pedigree, Gainsbourg's inspiration for IRM wasn't stemmed from some obtuse, intangible idea – it came from her own near-death experience. After spending time in and out of MRI machines, rounds of cranial drilling, and other fun procedures, the vision for a new record was spawned. To further refute her lack of credentials, was it mentioned that Gainsbourg handed the reins to Beck to turn medical misfortune into musical magnificence?

Beck's influence is clear enough – it shouts, rather than hints with subtleties. It's heard in the trotting bass loops and raw vibrancy, straight down to the man himself throwing in backing vocals. "Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes" swirls with melodramatic chamber pop, while the folk pleasantries of tracks like "Dandelion" add warmth and easiness to the unsure atmosphere. Beck's arrangements are effortless, albeit effortless to the point of disjointedness at times. These moments are forgiven, though, considering the unstable context of the record; Gainsbourg mutters like a worn patient - physically tired, but mentally on edge. Her delicate detachedness mingles with the orchestral haze, drifting like smoke in a dimly lit room. Anxious strings pluck while dissonant keys strike and search for a resting point. Even the more optimistic tracks are tinged with that vague need of finality.

Finality is not exactly reached. Gainsbourg takes on an eager journey for personal discovery with no definite stopping point. She yearns "to cross the desert and speak in tongues" as a distant whistles cries on the effervescent "Me & Jane Doe". Scatting guitar and strutting bass accompany Gainsbourg as she has an Alice in Wonderland moment on "Looking Glass Blues". She poses all the existential questions. She desires to see the world through new eyes, and ponders over mistakes. Gainsbourg worries too much. With her Mad Hatter of a producer on board, she can rest assured that this album is far from a mistake. It's just another shining credential

REVIEW: Vampire Weekend - Contra

Vampire Weekend - Contra

Release Date: January 8th, 2010
Label: XL












ZACH THAT:

“Bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art 'cause it documents human failure." -Tristan Reveur

"AY AY AY AY!” -Vampire Weekend

The first quote sums up how I feel about Vampire Weekend’s recently released Contra and the world that allowed it to reached number one on the charts. The human failure you see, is not restricted to the tunes of Vampire Weekend, but the millions of fans that consider this quality music worthy of money…in a recession no less. If you read our blog, or know me personally, then you understand I don’t hold back opinion. Before I rip into this album, I want to make it very clear that an opinion concerning the quality of art can’t be wrong. You might consider this to be a 10/10 masterpiece. That is not wrong. I might then consider you a damn fool. This as well, is not wrong. Now that we have that figured out, allow me to explain why this is the biggest piece of trash since ________ (Fill in with any of Eddie Murphy’s last three movies). By the way, the second quote reminds me why the world is falling apart.

(AY AY AY AY)

“In December drinking horchata. I'd look psychotic in a balaclava. Winter's cold is too much to handle. Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals.” Immediately I know from opening track, Horchata, that this is an everyman band that fills its wonderful songs with relatable narratives. We’ve all drank exotic beverages while wearing ski masks and hanging out on Hampton beaches in the winter. Wait a second now reader. I’m not saying that all art has to be relatable, but I haven’t seen this amount of celebration at ones own ego/elitism in art since Triumph Of The Will. Exaggerated example, yes. Point has been made. I get it Vampire Weekend. Your lyrics are abstract with their double meanings/definitions. What you must understand is the fact that abstraction in all art forms only works if the interpreter (in this case the listener) can evoke an emotion from that which doesn’t have an obvious answer.

(AY AY AY AY AY)

This is what frustrates me the most folks. This album tries to have its Paul Simon Cake and eat it too. They tell these ‘complicated’ stories but highlight certain words to make the abstraction work against itself. Take the masterpiece California English. The clearest words of the song are: Private Schools, Alps, Contra, Contra, Contra, LA, Philly Cheese Stake, Toothbrush. What the hell guys? (Zach motions over his shoulder) Come on kids, let’s take a closer look at this:

California English:

Wouldn’t ever gag you with a spoon, my only true love
Never really heard you speak that way, it’s unworthy of…
Funny how that little college girl called language corrupt
Funny how the other private schools had no Hapa Club

Someone took a trip before you came to ski in the Alps
Your father moved across the country
Just to sunburn his scalp
Contra Costa, Contra Mundum, contradict what I say
Living like the French Connection, but we’ll die in LA

STOP RIGHT THERE GUYS!

“AY AY AY” – Guy in vintage polo shirt.

I said STOP. (silence). Now don’t lie to me or yourself. Without looking it up, how many of you know what a Hapa club is? That doesn’t piss me off half as much as the obvious lack of knowledge the band has of the great film the French Connection. None of the supporting narrative supports any comparison to the film…unless they are referring to the iconic chase scene, which I’m sure is the only part they saw…because if they did see/comprehend the film, then they would understand how that verse doesn’t make any damn sense in context with the rest of the lyrics.

“AY AY AY AY!”

Allow me to shift and hit the gears like Gone With The Wind (wrong movie reference brought to you by Vampire Weekend). I’ve had the Contra debate over and over. The main point: “Oh, come on, it’s fun.” You know what’s wrong with the argument? I’ve never tried it, but I bet crack is pretty fun for a while as well. Why doesn’t everyone saddle up and crack it up all day? Sometimes fun doesn’t justify consumption. This is why Lady Gaga, Ke(money sign)ha, and Owl City play over and over on the radio…dumb people think the music is fun.

“AY AY AY AY”…I’m getting tired.

I feel like our indie generation is wasting one of the coolest moments of music history on the indulgence of buzz/wanting to fit in with a trend…which is the complete opposite of what indie is. When did indie get a dress code? Next time show up to a show wearing the most normal thing in your closet or jeans that feel comfortable to you…the music at the show remains the same. Why did he just bring up clothes? I brought up clothes because music is slowly moving away from the music and much more about the packaging of a band. Vampire Weekend might be fun, but they are manufactured fun. Take the amazing band Man Man. Those guys march by their own drum and come across completely sincere in their creation of a crazy brand/band.

I really moved away from talking about the album, but that’s ok…this is a social plea disguised as a review. If you made it this far…hold out your hand and I’ll hold it for this last paragraph. We are in the best time for discovering music. If you like Vampire Weekend, that’s fine. What I ask of you is to take breaks in between your Contra and just explore small blogs like WLFY and actually explore some of the smaller bands we feature. Go to concerts without texting on your damn iPhone. We need to revert back to seeing music as an art form and not something that is just fun. Fun is great, I own a Europe album…but the balance today is disgusting. Buy your Contra…it’s fun for you…but also try picking up a Jean Claude Vannier album. Film and music both need a renaissance and it starts with you.

AY AY AY

REVIEW: Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

Release Date: January 19th, 2010
Label: Kanine Records










BEN SHEENE:
There is an obvious plan of attack when reviewing Astro Coast: use as many intelligent and witty surfer analogies as possible. And why not? You hear the band is from Palm Beach, Florida. You see “surfer” in their name. I’m sure you will read plenty of reviews that make mention of waves and beaches and oceans and good ole summer fun. I guarantee you that somewhere, somehow Beach Boys comparisons are going to find their way in as a comparison to Surfer Blood.

I feel it is important (at least for me) to sort of squash these ideas and metaphors before they really start. You see, I know nothing about surfing…I’ve never even touched a surfboard in my life. If what is said about the band is true then not only do they not surf but they also did not like the surfer kids of their younger days. Let me be honest—when I first heard the name “Surfer Blood” I didn’t think of a band that had salt water pumping through their veins; I assumed they were some sort of rock or punk act. What about the gaping maw of a shark on their album cover? Not exactly a sight a laid back surfer dude will want to see. Needless to say when I went into my first listen of Astro Coast I was not expecting the obvious.

More than anything I want to acknowledge the one “unfortunate” aspect of this album and that lies with the second track “Swim”. Months before the release of the debut, “Swim” came out as a single and even got the honor of getting one of Pitchfork’s best singles of 2009. The song really does have it all: the vocals that stir up the Beach Boys comparisons, the guitar chords reminding us of the better times of the glory days of bands like Weezer, and enough lo-fi goodness to rattle your bones. The track even hints at the recent “chillwave” movement that has been spreading like crazy through the indie music scene. None of this is really unfortunate per se but one might get the impression that the rest of the album might follow suit (or, even worse, that nothing can compare to the single’s promise).

But it was as I listened to each track on Astro Coast that I realized how great the album actually is; not only because of how good its ten tracks are but how it completely demolished all my expectations. “Floating Vibes” opens the album and is (at least on my end) the most surf song out of the entire album with the line, “If you’re moving out to the west, then you better learn how to surf.” But it is here the album catches you, right at the beginning and I promise it really won’t let you go. The tropical influenced “Take It Easy” puts you in a bright mood and takes you to another coast completely. The David Lynch inspired “Twin Peaks” provides vocals that even a Cursive fan would love. By the time track seven, “Fast Jabroni”, comes around a lot of different styles have come into play; I mean…there is even an instrumental track.

It is when “Slow Jabroni” comes around that your ears tune into something different. The six minute track changes the pace to a slower one resulting in a climax that any fan of shoegaze would love. Sometimes it can be a bit disorienting to have an album change like this on you—and can even result in a bit of its collapse. However, Astro Coast does not suffer from this. Surfer Blood takes the promise of “Swim” and cuts it open and takes each element that makes that song great and makes nine other songs that are just as good (and some that are better). Track by track the band makes a song that either hooks or gently coaxes you in. In a way the album does feel awkwardly paced, especially when considering how energetic two thirds of it is and then how downplayed the last part can feel. Yet, when I think about how a band can still sound good but not actually different as the album plays on, it makes me so very pleased by this debut.

One last thing of note: the middle of January feels like a bizarre time to release such an album. Because, in the end, Surfer Blood makes an album that is warm and an album that might just make you see beaches and waves when you close your eyes and open your ears. I image one might liken the swell and calm of this album to be reminiscent of a day in the sand and next to the water. The sun rises, the surf is up. The sun goes down, the surfers pack up for the day. But like any good surfer will go back for more, you will come back for repeated listens.

REVIEW: RJD2 - The Colossus

RJD2 - The Colossus

Release Date: January 19th, 2010
Label: RJ's Electrical Connections










Brandon Rae:

Truly a damn shame that Ramble John Krohn's versatility happens to fall under both the blessing and curse categories. It's evident that RJD2 has never been on a tight leash with his sound, but it's that laissez-faireism that seems to be holding him back from consistently creating solid LP's. 2002's Deadringer was a brilliant mosaic of sound and 2004's Since We Last Spoke did a great job of succeeding his debut with a matured arrangement. The Third Hand should have been titled The Third Wheel. This wasn't a left-field piece of work; It was out of the damn ballpark. 2010 presents RJ with a blank canvas. New decade, new record label. So how does this new album fare?

The Colossus carries Ramble back into refreshing territory, effectively delivering more hits than misses. The galactic "A Spaceship For Now" is a true out-of-this-world experience with science fictive synth-heavy sounds alongside a rugged drum arsenal. Soulful additions "Games You Can Win" and Phonte-featured "The Shining Path" achieve refreshing results while remaining relevant to the album's body. The funked up single "Let There Be Horns" is a chaotic collection of instruments ordered in a beautiful fashion. "Tin Flower" coasts on a killer bass line before branching off into Heather Fortune's scintillating flute performance. There aren't many producers who can unfold a track as beautifully as RJD2.

My frustration kicks in when I reflect on all of these solid tracks and come to the realization that he's already dabbed into all of it. The funk from Deadringer's "Ghostwriter" and Last Spoke's "1976"! The soul from "Work" and "One Day"! "The Proxy" and "Iced Lightning" from outer space! That's where the RJD2 love comes from. I'm in love with the familiarity. Ramble crosses the polytropic line with "A Son's Cycle", as an underwhelming pace accompanies underwhelming microphone work. The languor feels out of place, sandwiched between two effervescent funk pieces. "Gypsy Caravan" is one hell of a tease, beginning in a dreamy chillwave cloud only to fall into a hefty guitar ballad that is both lyrically and sonically daft.

This album is an adventure that voyages anywhere and everywhere, but it has the maturity to head home on the last track, borrowing from the "Horns" single at the opening of the LP. The Colossus should have been titled The Capricious. But what the hell, it's fun, damnit.

REVIEW: Spoon - "Transference"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

In a moment of weakness, I admitted to my local bartender: "I don't think I like Spoon." This was 2007, a year before I heard Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, which was the first Spoon album that sunk all the way in. You see, it's not that I don't respect Spoon. It's that, if anything, I hold them to such incredibly high standards -- you listen to "The Way We Get By" and try not to do the same -- that when the standard isn't met, or changed, or exceeded...well, I can't help but feel a little disappointed. And, sorry indie rocker, half of the tunes on Kill the Moonlight don't get there.

Perhaps that's why Ga x5 was such a revelation. For the first time we heard Spoon change the rules of what they were doing. It wasn't a pursuit of erudite, slacker, super-pop but a grainy garage pop record, keeping the melody in the right place, but twisting the album, making it about weird little things -- Japanese cigarette cases, haunted neighborhoods, the band King Kong. For the first time, it felt like Brit Daniel felt at home in what he had written. The placement and musicality (as always was impeccable) but we were left without the blush or wink on previous albums -- Spoon had finally changed their own rules.

Two years later, Daniel and the guys drop Transference which seems to continue in the same vein as Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga to mixed results. First track "Before Destruction" sounds like it got ripped out of the same session as Ga's (astonishing) closer "Black like Me." The single "Written in Reverse" is fairly freewheeling and energetic but put side by side something like "The Underdog" or "Rhythm & Soul" and it starts to feel a little too controlled.

Yet, it must be said that merely by being a Spoon record, Transference manages to sound better than most things out there. But, you'll have to excuse me if it also doesn't confirm a bit of what I can't help but think about the band -- that they love their tricks and relish in them. I happen to think that that's a pretty pissy way to have a band. But Britt has been at it far longer than I. And maybe it's totally wrong to ask a group to live up to what they've already created, but when you here the unforced effervescence of "Goodnight Laura" and "Out Go the Lights," you may wonder the same thing I did -- why am I wasting my time on the first third of the album when these tracks are so incredible.

And that pretty much sums up my opinion on Spoon -- for such damnable amazing songwriters and musicians, they keep somehow missing my expectations. And, maybe that's not fair, but I am a fan. And the very least I can do as a fan is try to keep the people I relish on their toes.

RIP Jay Reatard

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Late 09 early 10 is shaping up to be as disappointing as it is promising as we've again lost another musician a the forefront of their craft. Jay Reatard was found dead in his home in Memphis early this morning. Reatard had just released his Matador debut entitled Watch Me Fall last year.

Our thoughts go out to Jay's family and friends.

REQUIRED LISTEN: WORKER BEE

ZACH THAT:

We all have those introspective moments that really challenge every inch of emotion. It’s impossible to force these, if you’re being truthful, but I’ve found that walking in the cold with my headphones playing a little tune is the closest I’ve come to being able to create this precious moment. Getting to the point, there are few bands that can dig into the deeper parts of the mind…Worker Bee is one of them. Swirling guitars rest peacefully against strutting, not running, drum beats. The vocals on their album, “Tangler”, float in and out, always on cue, building the song to the next eruption of layered sound. “No Dreams” sticks out as my favorite track, evoking thoughts of Antlers, Jonquil, and Fleet Foxes minus the harmonies. Worker Bee is making the music I want to spend my time with this decade.

Worker Bee - No Dreams

MORE INFO:
Worker Bee's debut album, Tangler, is what the band made it to be and whatever the listener wants it to be. This ethos has been instated since the first conception of the band came together in San Jose, California in 2006. They self-released two EPs before mounting creative clarity came to a head and they penned their first full-length album. Their sound continues to evolve from one release to the next, perfecting the marriage of elaborate instrumentation, angularity and beautiful haunting noise.

An exercise in simplicity, limitation was key in the recording of Tangler. Done in the non-studio of the band's house in California and working with only eight tracks each song, the record itself speaks of something larger than the whole. Space left ajar by the music is quickly occupied by the listener's own impartments.

Because of this intended elasticity, the album never makes a home in any strict genre. Songs like "Nesting" and "Cold Rats" are awash in percussive gasps and collapsed guitars. Through its blue dirge, the narrative of "When You Came Through" depicts a man giving in to something that most never could. "Rough Magic" emits a displacing fog where landmarks only appear in the sampled clangor and the steady drums become the only ground. The album's side closers "No Dreams" and "Surface Eating Acid Bath" entail all the ideas of Tangler. No one thing has meaning and reason endowed on it in the same way twice but the attempt is the real goal.




Worker Bee - Tangler
Self-Released






Tracklisting:

01 Come Back
02 Nesting
03 When You Came Through
04 Cold Rats
05 Rough Magic
06 No Dreams
07 Frozen Game
08 Lip Service
09 All Roads
10 Surface Eating Acid Bath

TOUR DATES
Saturday, Jan 9 - Monterey, CA - Jose's Underground Lounge (w/ Mississippi Man, The SIlent Comedy)
Tuesday, Jan 26 - San Francisco, CA - Hemlock Tavern (w/ Silian Rail, Boomsnake)
Wednesday, Feb 3 - San Jose, CA - The Blank Club (w/ Ugly Winner, By Sunlight)