CD review - ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Tao of the Dead (2011)

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead are back in fine form with Tao of the Dead. It's not as coherent a concept album as 2009's The Century of Self, but some things never change. Trail of Dead is still raising that Green Day punk energy and harnessing it to a soaring post rock musical expression. The band continues to show off their deep understanding of dynamics. There are dropouts with rhythmic openness that fall prey to chaotic builds, then coalesce into something richer. The smooth transition of songs flow effortlessly through the album. The constant whipsaw from moments of calm to cathartic release is classic Trail of Dead technique.

The album is split into two halves: the 11 tracks of the main album and the epic 16 minute sprawl subtitled Strange News From Another Planet. The first half pulls in a Dramarama style power pop on songs like Pure Radio Cosplay. The song switches between the satisfying power pop drive and a Flaming Lips kind of post rock. The tight interplay between the instruments is perfect: the busy bass line meshes with the rich drum work while the guitars play counterpoint to each other.

Summer of All Dead Souls is the first single off the album. It starts with a Who style overture reminiscent of A Quick One then dives into a manic punk energy. The raging sneer of the vocals cuts like a scalpel.

The band has talked about their recent infatuation with Krautrock and this comes through on the electronic psychedelic groove of Spiral Jetty, which also features a wicked grinding guitar flail. Later, Somewhere Over the Double Rainbow evokes NEU. It builds intensity like a whitewater rapids. Then we're over the falls into a trippy electronic space with a steady bass line. Shrouds of feedback fog cling to the edges.

The extended Strange News From Another Planet is really a smaller collection of songs that are stirred together in a medley. A collection of voiceovers provide an interlude, but the same peak to valley leaps from overture to reflection fill out the track. The lyrics here are clearer, referencing the Tao Te Ching (e.g. verse 57).

Tao of the Dead is a fine addition to the Trail of Dead catalog. Sip a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA while you listen.

CD review - Arboretum,The Gathering (2011)

Baltimore's Arbouretum had slipped completely under my radar until a review copy of The Gathering (due out Feb 22, Thrill Jockey Records) found its way into my mailbox. Moments into the first track, The White Bird, I was hooked. The sound is effortlessly retro, nailing an early '70s classic rock sound so organically, you'd swear this was some unreleased gem from Bad Company's vaults. Frontman Dave Heumann even channels a Paul Rodgers sound to his vocals. Aside from Bad Company, there are bits of Warren Zevon and Richard Thompson in the mix, too.

The arrangements are centered around Heumann's simple guitar riffs and Corey Allender's thick, melodic bass lines. The drums propel the tunes forward, but rarely dominate. Additional guitar parts and keys add some ornamentation. Like that classic era, the songs are rarely overtly trippy, but there is a casual psychedelic vibe that comes from the meditative repetition of distorted guitar reverberating through the raga style changes. The album's blues riffs are completely dissociated from any kind of 12-bar structure.

The Gathering isn't just a one trick pony, though. There are great dynamics as rhythm and tempo changes keep things interesting. The songs each set a mood and tell their own stories. Their press talks about Carl Jung's The Red Book as an inspiration.

High points on the album include the opener, The White Bird, which sounds a bit like Bad Company covering Richard Thompson's For Shame of Doing Wrong. The interplay of warmly distorted guitar and rich bass builds a powerful groove. This has the satisfying feel of coming home. The beat is laid back, but persistent. Arbouretum takes their time with the jam, letting it unfold over 7+ minutes.

Their cover of Jimmy Webb's The Highwayman also stands out. They completely own this song that was a hit for the country supergroup, The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson). The Zevon style vocal evokes Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner or A Bullet For Ramona. The lyrical theme of reincarnation fits well with the rest of The Gathering.

I could go on: the slow pensive build of When Delivery Comes, the moody bombast of Destroying To Save (download from Stereogum), or the rolling guitar thunder of Song of the Nile... As much as I enjoy all this, I'm looking forward to coming back to it after another month or two, to see what else resonates.

The Gathering is Arbouretum's fourth release (note to self, track down the back catalog). What's the right period friendly drink to match? Maybe bourbon and coke?

CD review - Mogwai, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (2011)

Mogwai rejects the "post-rock" label, but it fits them the best because of the rich textures they use to build songs in an evolving structure. They primarily play intense instrumental music, occasionally using vocals as another shade in their sonic palette. As last year's live concert DVD, Burning (review here), demonstrated, their loyal fans savor the cathartic blast of sound the band can bring.

Heavy as their music can be, they also bring a wry Scottish humor, with evocative titles like I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead. Their new CD throws down the gauntlet with the title, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. Of course, the irony is that Hardcore... is more thoughtful and restrained, especially in the first half. Those songs may offer less catharsis, but they're not lightweight by any means. The second half has enough of the classic Mogwai wall of sound to satisfy their fans, but this is the sound of a band confidently stepping off their own beaten path.

To prove this, several of the songs lay in a post punk vibe leavened with elements of electronic sounds. In particular, San Pedro is catchy as hell, sounding like instrumental Psychedelic Furs or Smithereens. In better world, this would be saturating the radio. On the more modern side, Mexican Grand Prix and George Square Thatcher Death Party evoke the Disco Biscuits, especially in their glitchy, processed vocal sounds. Mexican Grand Prix's Joy Division influence (think Transmission) throws in another dimension.

But the two best songs on the disc are Death Rays and You're Lionel Ritchie, which emphasize the contrast between Mogwai's sonic extremes. Death Rays starts with a moment of contemplation. It's a lighter sound, with a sweet combo of guitar picking and long organ chords. The mood shifts from reflective to stately procession. The only link to the title would be if the music were tied to a video showing a beautiful ballet of slow motion destruction. Then, about 2/3 in, the distorted guitar drone comes in... are these the death rays? Maybe so, but there's still a sense of calm, even as the last little bit of guitar static lingers at the end.

You're Lionel Ritchie starts with a soft, Pink Floyd trippiness, like Careful With That Axe, Eugene. The moody shift to another soft guitar arrangement section is typical of earlier Mogwai. It builds a sense of calm before a coming storm. The peaceful interlude breaks with a fuzzy build up into a grinding restatement of the original theme. The intensity ratchets into a raging, cathartic pounding. It finally subsides and lets the various parts fall away, leaving the soft echo of distorted guitar. This is classic Mogwai, suggesting God Speed You! Black Emperor.

Throughout Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, Mogwai deftly create sonic spaces that are evocative and interesting. The overall sound may be less heavy, but it's no less hardcore. This is already one of my favorite albums of the year. Pour a flagon of the Beast Grand Cru from Avery while you listen (everyone should have one aging in their cellar).

CD review - BRAIDS, Native Speaker (2011)

Native Speaker is full of loopy arpeggios, echo-stretched vocals, and hazy swells of sound. Dreamy and experimental, BRAIDS' debut album mines some of the same space worked by Animal Collective or Freelance Whales. What sets them apart is the way their songs channel a sense of subconscious space. Call it id pop.

Loops and tonal washes set an ambient background, while the foreground vocals tend to avoid linear focus. Instead, the voices overlap and compete, offering different views. Some contribute only a primal sense. The title track, Native Speaker, follows this pattern. The intro is reflective with a lazy tidal feel. Under this surface, subtle sounds rise to grab your ear before sinking again. A single voice comes forward, but weaves in and out of other voices: a shimmery chorus, a childlike interjection, swirling whispers, glitchy stutters. The sonic mix reacts to each bit of lyric. While there's not quite a linear flow, there is a kind of consistency; it's a roiling subconscious melange that eventually resolves into acceptance. "It's fine."

Native Speaker has plenty of pop touches -- nice beats, Raphaelle Standell-Preston's strong vocals, shimmery synths and guitars -- but the structures are repetitive and experimental, ignoring verse-chorus structure. Between Standell-Preston's offbeat lyrical phrasing and their interesting use of backing vocals, BRAIDS focuses more strongly on vocals than any other part of their sound.

Plath Heart sets up a shimmery beat, but it's the galloping lyrics that grab:

There's no loving after all this crap that we've been through
I'm not coming back to you.

The musical fills in the background offer a counterpoint stagger rhythm to the vocals. In contrast to the ambient sound of Native Speaker, Plath Heart ticks along with a smug, poppy drive.

Native Speaker is a good first album, showing off BRAIDS' quirky sensibilities. They've already gotten a lot of alt-press, but I'm more interested in seeing which direction BRAIDS will choose to explore next. In the meantime, I'm thinking mint Juleps are in order.