Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
In Reflection [Original recording remastered] [Import]
Music: Cafe De Flore V.2 [Import]
I Still Remember Dog [CD-single] [Import]
I Love Disco Diamonds V.35 [Import]
Japanese Folk Songs V.3 [Import]
Jacqueline du Pré - Chopin: Cello Sonata in G minor, Franck: Sonata in A / Barenboim
Amazon.com
Like kicking fallen leaves on a chilled autumn afternoon, the songs on this record raise a quiet ruckus, unscrambling themselves with an often-beautiful faintness. Charting a wandering course through swooping guitar phrases and loosely structured mope rock, the music is in no hurry. In an age of rampant DJ tweaks and atmospherics, it's also a decidedly acoustic endeavor. The instruments are for the most part left lo-fi and intimate, though the sound is full of Tortoise-like depths and layers. Often turning on a short and arresting melodic concept, the band builds repetition around a variety of musical approaches. In "How Did This Room Get So White?" it uses revved-up feedback, building tension off a simple riff into high-arching crescendos of noisy rapture. More often, the group opts for the softer touches. A violin takes the countermelody in "A Sailor's Warning," wrapping around Lois Maffeo's sparkling guest vocal with a hushed assurance. Later, the dreamy riff at the center of "An Alarm Goes Off" anchors a shimmering background of whispering chimes and guitar-pedal mysteries. Perfect for celebrating summer's end, watching the colors change and the temperature drop in slow motion. --Matthew Cooke