Pop 'stache

The only person to ever take mash-up that seriously was Gregg Gillis. Given that Gillis, better known as Girl Talk, was the best at it, it made sense for him to refer to what he did as “performance art” in an interview I conducted with him a few years ago. Appreciating Night Ripper, Feed The Animals or All Day this way isn’t hard, since they certainly have their share of artful moments. But more than anything, Girl Talk work as joyous, unfettered musical id – radio brain matter splattering itself out on canvas.

While subsequent interviews may disprove this, it seems like Dan Deacon has no such artistic pretensions about his new freely available mash-up fiesta, Wish Book Vol. 1. From the Bart Simpson-inspired cover art to the unstoppably attention grabbing first combo (Grimes and Psy, because why the hell not?), Wish Book never feels like anything other than little over half an hour of Deacon going berserk on his favorite songs.

Despite the immediate, visceral hipster pleasure gleaned from hearing Psy rap over “Oblivion,” Deacon takes his time chopping and screwing up his samples to fit his purpose. A distinct advantage Gillis always had was using his encyclopedic knowledge of music to find songs that needed little textural changing to be smashed together; Deacon takes no so approach. Emotions are more important than recognition – why else would Deacon bury a chipmunk’d sample of Animal Collective’s vocal bridge in “My Girls”? Sonics over songcraft, for better and worse.

Deacon makes the mistake nearly every mash-up artist has made (including Gillis) in trying to sandwich lil Wayne’s “A Milli” verse somewhere and ends up sounding foolish, but for the most of the record’s first fifteen minutes, the results are uniformally excellent. “Someone Area (Rod)” is the immediate standout, building off Rod Stewart to get to a toned down “Single Ladies” and an effortless “Someone Great” sample. Hip-hop plays less of an important role to Deacon than it does to Gillis, which makes the moments his throws a verse over some indie-rock all the more special. Nicki Minaj blasts over Tune-Yards. “Someone Great” croons over a slo-mo “Black and Yellow.” The samples aren’t hard to identify, and the mix generally stays on the right side of completely fucking insane.

The second half of the album loses this steam relatively quickly. Deacon is best when it seems like he’s trying to hold himself back from putting the millionth layer onto his cake, so tracks like “Beez Eagles” and “Virgin Uncle Salt,” that can in places seem like normal A+B mashup fare, heavily disappoint on the heels of the screwy opening salvos. Each have their share of beautiful turns of pop inventiveness – Rihanna’s “Diamond” vocal samples anchor what could turn into nonsense mush on “Oscillating Diamonds,” and even in that role the song is only vaguely successful. Deacon doesn’t necessarily need to match the anthemic nature of most mash-up, but to be consciously subverting this impulse, as much of the second half of the album seems to be, is a little misplaced as well. Especially given that he seems fine with his fists up in the air on the first two tracks.

Missteps aside, Deacon still outpaces most mash-up artists who call the genre their game on just his first album of it. Not that this is particularly revelatory – were Vegas to have put a line on it, Deacon’s odds of being a talented mash-up artist would’ve been pretty good. And if the Volume One is to be believed, Dan Deacon isn’t giving this up as a one-off. Wish Book may not yet rival Girl Talk’s prodigious output, but at least it’s introducing a necessary element of competition into the mix. Plus, if Deacon ever pulls out “Someone Area (Rod)” in concert, it will be an all-timer.

Dan Deacon - Wish Book Vol 1 Tracklist

1. Gangrimes Style

2. Someone Area (Rod)

3. Oscillating Diamonds

4. Beez Eagles

5. Virgin Uncle Salt

California alt-metal heads Deftones have proven that old age hasn’t tamed their raucous attitudes and propensity toward roaring riffs and startling volumes. With a romantic title (Koi No Yokan—Japanese for “premonition of love”) and a gorgeous cover, the entire packaging of Deftones’ seventh release reveals the concept of this vibrant new sound—sharp and angular, while glittering with vulnerability.

While previous releases may have served as a logical sounding board for Koi No Yokan, there are undeniable changes present in this adoption of melody and tameness. Sergio Vega is in full swing and being utilized to his full potential as longtime bassist Chi Cheng continues to recover from an accident during the recording of Diamond Eyes that left him in a coma. From these lineup tune-ups and mourning tragedy comes a newfound romanticism and optimism in Deftones usual onslaught of razor blade riffs.

“Swerve City” serves an attention-grabbing opener; with the booming opening riff pummeling through listeners and reassuring that no ground was tread softly in this album. The track grabs listeners by the shirt collar and throws them into a vortex of suspenseful guitar riffs and strained wails. Chino Moreno’s ringing vocals drape nicely over the choppy riff, maintaining melodic structure while still remaining powerful. Aggressive chopped drums and high octave trills in the bridge add versatility to the song.

Side stepping typical alt-metal conventions in favor of the road less traveled, the album continues with slow (by Deftones standards, which equates to about the same vigorousness of a brisk sprint) stunner, “Romantic Dreams.” Moreno does indeed touch on the quixotic with the tender delivery of lines like “I promise to watch and raise your babies.” The maturing quintet flaunts their experimentation with emotional exposure, a welcomed continuation of 2010 idealist-rock release Diamond Eyes.

Guitarist Stephen Carpenter squanders no time with tiptoeing behind math metal or dramatic build-ups—it’s an immediate tangle of guitars accompanied by Abe Cunningham’s angular percussion. A brief calm before the storm introduces “Leathers,” quickly tailed by an explosive beginning to one of the album’s more aggressive tunes. Moreno exercises his unrivaled ability to oscillate between the throat shredding wails and reserved melodies to much avail.

Stephen Carpenter’s heavy blankets of distortion occasionally muddle the innovative tunings that distinguish Deftones from their guitar-noodling contemporaries, but still retains their signature high-intensity sludge. This artistic integrity is most evident in “Graphic Nature.” The weighty riff overpowers Moreno’s vocals in a skuzzy, confusing mess, but muscles out with redemption that can be credited to a pleasantly metallic drum fills and Moreno’s glassy vocals.

Koi No Yokan seems to be engineered for parading Deftones’ newfound maturity achieved by hanging up the bloody knuckled aggression of career cornerstones, most notably, their debut album Adrenaline. But the rockers still manage to reminisce about their more blunt-edged days with the album’s lead single “Tempest.” Heavy on ambient vocals and cheeky rock hooks, the song is infectious while maintaining a blunt-edged appeal. Moreno exercises some artistic license with the questionable—albeit infectious—chorus, “I’d like to be taken apart from the inside, then spit through the cycle right to the end.” Once the song seems to be settling in a hesitant calm, Moreno unleashes a trademark shriek and drives the chorus through one final stretch, leaving listeners’ spiraling into a glorious tailspin.

The eleven-track album closes with “What Happened To You,” the album’s most melodic number, with Moreno’s liberally sweetened vocals and Carpenter reeling in his guitar riffery madness with a steady, bread-and-butter strum. The track’s poignancy and finality identifies itself as an appropriate closer but it serves as an awkward coupling with the acerbity of the album as a whole.

Deftones trudged along the straight-and-narrow track of contemporary alt-metal while incorporating melodic subtleties. This eleven-track expedition revealed an evolution of sound and desire to remain one of the pinnacle artists of their genre. Deftones prove that volume doesn’t always equate to anger by exposing the nuances of metal and the emotional tug-of-war that exists in loud rock. Certainly not bearing the same knuckle pounding force or creative solidity of albums prior, Koi No Yokan still houses some rip-roaring rock and a vibrant new sound.

Deftones – Koi No Yokan tracklist:

1. “Swerve City”
2. “Romantic Dreams”
3. “Leathers”
4. “Poltergeist”
5. “Entombed”
6. “Graphic Nature”
7. “Tempest”
8. “Gauze”
9. “Rosemary”
10. “Goon Squad”
11. “What Happened To You?”

How do you feel about vanilla ice cream? According to company surveys done by the International Dairy Foods Association of their ice cream selling members you’re probably a fan because it continues to be the number one selling flavor.

Some with differing tastes would argue that vanilla ice cream is too plain or lacks excitement while fans of vanilla would praise it’s simple sweetness and it’s remarkable consistency. East coast gangster rap has become the vanilla ice cream of hip hop over the past few decades. Simple boom bap beats and consistent street life focused subject matter have made it a giant of the genre, and until recent years it has always been the top selling variety of hip hop fans listen to.

Wu-Block is a collaboration between members of two important pillars of the east coast rap scene, Ghostface Killah of the monumental Wu-Tang Clan and Sheek Louch of the influential yet less widely known The LOX. Other members of Wu-Tang and The LOX make various appearances on different tracks throughout the album, but it’s obvious which members are running the show. Sheek appears on every track. Ghostface is featured on all but one, “Drivin’ Round” a smooth ride of a track featuring Sheek, Masta Killah, and the indomitable GZA trading verses about how everything they see driving around their neighborhoods has never changed for better or worse. Erykah Badu provides the muted yet silky sounding hook, “Step in the car and go round down by your lady, and I be waiting at the door.”

The rest of the album is fairly frozen into a cohesive group of beats with a grimy bump sort of sound. Tracks like “Crack Spot Stories,” “Pour the Martini,” “Cocaine Central,” “Stick Up Kids,” and “Been Robbed” also add a thematic similarity of drugs and crime that has become the de facto subject matter of the genre.

Standout tracks, well, they’re there but they’re just very similar to something you think you’ve heard in 1994. Method Man is a great addition to the song Pull Tha Cars Out, because his voice is always on point even if he’s still spitting bars about cash ruling everything. “If I spend a rack today, get that rack back tomorrow. I’m a cash ruler, rulers zig-zag along. Get my money off the hook like I’m Abdul-Jabar. Get my money off the book like Steve Paul.”

In comparing this to vanilla ice cream I want to point out that while this genre can indeed taste like the same old thing coming from other acts. When done with the diversity of vocal and verbal talent on retainer between these two respective groups it reminds you why you chose them both to begin with. East Coast hip hop and vanilla still can both have great flavor. So grab yourself a big spoon and start digging into this gallon of rap music.

1. “Crack Spot Stories” (feat. Raekwon and Jadakiss)
2. “Pour Tha Martini” (feat. Cappadonna)
3. “Pull Tha Cars Out” (feat. Method Man)
4. “Guns for Life” (feat. Styles P)
5. “Coming For Ya Head” (feat. Styles P and Raekwon)
6. “Cocaine Central” (feat. Styles P)
7. “Take Notice”
8. “Drivin’ Round” (feat. Masta Killa, GZA and Erykah Badu)
9. “Different Time Zones” (feat. Inspectah Deck)
10. “Stick Up Kids” (feat. Jadakiss)
11. “All in Together” (feat. Styles P and Jadakiss
12. “Do It Like Us” (feat. Raekwon)
13. “Stella”(feat. Method Man)
14. “Been Robbed”
15. “Bust Shots” (feat. Inspectah Deck)

RNDM (pronounced “Random”) truly lives up to its name as far as origin is concerned, but their music is an organized, well-packed punch to pop-rock today. Ament and Stuverud collaborated for late-90s super band pursuit Three Fish, and Arthur landed an opening spot for the band. After staying in touch for years, Arthur cemented the friendship with a slot at last year’s PJ20, which resulted in Ament’s invitation for a jam session, spawning a slew of songs to be slammed on RNDM’s album.

Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, prolific, indie-leaning singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur and Seattle punk-rock fixture drummer Richard Stuverud combine their rich musical inclinations to create Acts, RNDM’s stellar debut album. Composed in a whirlwind four-day recording session, Acts is an undeniably eclectic—and still cohesive—body of work reflecting each member’s unique musical point-of-view. Palpable group chemistry discounts any suspect of the band’s recent formation, as if they’ve been churning out alt-rock gems together for years.

Arthur’s vocally focused compositions are rife throughout the album, and his position at lead vocals allows his aural landscapes to bloom throughout the album. Ament’s jam-packed bass lines and relentless approach lends an edge to the music and Stuverud’s almost-lyrical drumming complements Arthur’s silver-throated delivery.

The album opens with the melodic chopping of the intro to “Modern Times” and Arthur’s inimitable upbeat drone easily harkens back to his work with the Lonely Astronauts. Arthur’s singsong drone dances over the pedal-pounding riff while Stuverud‘s steady drumming and liberal fuzz-guitar wallops, the song gains traction where the folk lean would have fallen flat. Heavily layered vocals add dimension and are consistent with Arthur’s penchant for intricacy.

Charming acoustic hook of “The Disappearing Ones” and Arthur’s purposely fumbling verses lend a charmingly sloppy tilt to an otherwise unsettlingly polished folk-rock number. An echoing chorus and heavy cymbal thrash push the song to more assertive territory amidst a clichéd barrage of “yeah yeah yeah’s” clutter the bridge. Arthur flexes his artistic muscle as he coaxes Ament’s powerful bass lines into more pensive veins.

“Walking Through New York” could have easily wedged itself into Arthur’s darkly romantic 2004 masterpiece Our Shadows Will Remain, with macabre guitar trills and wrenching lyrical poetry. Arthur’s artistic input is most evident on the album’s middle-marker; the densely layered, macabre groove complements layers of Arthur’s hurt falsetto. One of the most introspective songs featured on Acts, RNDM shows that they can jab at raw nerves without aggravating open wounds or tripping through platitudes.

The emotional tenderness is quickly abandoned in favor of alt-rock thumpers like “Look Out!,” which bears considerable aural weight of heavy wah’s and pedal-pounced flourishes. Sparse lyrics give the seasoned trio ample time to flaunt their musical chops while exercising some appreciated restraint.

The album caps with “Cherries in the Snow,” a campfire hymn featuring harmonica and tight acoustic guitar working, and wraps Acts on a wistful note. The opening lyric, “did I thank you for coming here to visit me,” seems like an offhand thank you to listeners who stuck around for the 12-track quickie out of both intrigue and fandom; but there are no thanks needed when an album of this musical fortitude is at hand.

Alternating between quick and dirty punk inclinations, elastic funk grooves, romantic folk twang, and alt-rock forcefulness, RNDM has proven themselves as one of the year’s most unclassifiable bands. While this lack of would normally signal directionless, RNDM embraces their opposing musical backgrounds to form an inimitable brew of modern-age rock. Not an album that can be sliced and diced into neatly packed singles but more of a cohesive full-bodied work standalone, Acts signals the birth of one of rock’s saving graces in the form of three divergent musical personalities meeting in one place long enough to churn out a thoughtful musical chronicle.

RNDM – Acts tracklist:

1. “Modern Times”
2. “Darkness”
3. “The Disappearing Ones”
4. “What You Can’t Control”
5. “Hollow Girl”
6. “Walking Through New York”
7. “Look Out!”
8. “New Tracks”
9. “Throw You To The Pack”
10. “Williamsburg”
11. “Letting Go Of Will”
12. “Cherries In The Snow”

The yin and the yang, the shadow and the light; that is how Born Gold’s latest album, Little Sleepwalker compares to its predecessor Bodysongs. Little Sleepwalker being the dark and Bodysongs being the bright.

A bit of a backstory: Only a short couple of years ago, Born Gold (of Edmonton, Canada) were jogging along under the name Gobble Gobble and included Megan James and Corin Roddick (who branched off to form Purity Ring) in the lineup. They were putting on maniacal dance shows, incorporating hockey helmets, snow shovels and leaf blowers. In 2011, however, the band changed names and became Born Gold; shortly after the release of their new moniker came the album Bodysongs.

Like the great Oz behind the curtain, Born Gold mastermind Cecil Frena has churned out a sophomore follow-up to Bodysongs. Frena has expressed that he works best when isolated—so much so, in fact, that he had a brief stint living in a retirement neighborhood in a deserted community in Arizona to work on and percolate what would become Little Sleepwalker. 

In many ways, the latest album is a darker, more obscure collection than past Frena works. Strongly influenced by and (equally) a fan of pop music, Frena has found a way to intertwine his love of pop music through all of his work. Whereas Bodysongs is substantially more upbeat and danceable, Little Sleepwalker maintains a electro-pop sound, though amassed with ambiguity and enigma. With the help of synthesizers and various vocal calisthenics, Frena is able to make his voice much higher on a handful of songs, essentially singing like a woman. If amorphic is what Frena was going for, it was certainly achieved.

Although Little Sleepwalker leads with the single multi-layered, alien-sounding “Skybicycle,” the most worthwhile hooks of the album can be found on “That Way,” which is full of loops and heavy beats. “I: Ferocious Body” and “Lethe” are two of only a handful of distinguishable tracks; most of the songs will make listeners zone out entirely.

Little Sleepwalker is an interesting collection of darkness, mystery and dream state. But mostly it feels too much like an experiment with manipulating vocals and playing around with a synthesizer.

Born Gold — Little Sleepwalker tracklist:

1. “Pulse Thief”
2. “That Way”
3. “Lethe”
4. “I: Ferocious Body”
5. “II: Against Silence”
6. “Skybicycle”
7. “Black Sonar”
8. “Dawn Tunnel”
9. “Fires of Disappearing”
10. “Gauze Pillars”

As a debut, the self-titled EP by Audiences serves to show the widely varied backgrounds of each member and is hopefully a harbinger of what is to come from the Chicago-based outfit.

The opener, “Ghosts,” begins calmly, and vocalist Billy Jesus’ voice wraps around a reverb-heavy guitar. When Jesus sings, “My hood is up, her eyes are green, the room goes Cadillac and back into neutral again,” the song seems to dissipate, only to erupt into a solo by lead guitarist Steven Kraniotis.

Billy Jesus has a rich, emotional voice. Every line sounds as if he’s been aching to say it to the world. In “I Swear,” he belts out “I swear to you, I still love you,” over guitar, waving with tremolo, and the listener is completely engulfed by that moment. Jesus is often accompanied vocally by bassist Brian Suarez, but female vocals make an entry on “Where’s that Coming From?” and they swell beautifully in a “Great Gig in the Sky” sort of way.

Guitarist Kraniotis speaks with his instrument, in his own way expressing as much pent-up emotion as Jesus. The drums, too, contribute to the EP’s variety. The drummer seems to hang in the back, but draws patience for certain parts, only accenting select edges to songs with a syncopated rim-shot beat.

Audiences is a band that shows its varying influences side by side as every jam progresses into a full song. Never anything too fancy, or horribly complicated, but a full-bodied sound that envelopes the listener.

“Midnight Hound” starts with a mellow guitar jam that the band soon fills out. In it, Jesus sings, “And outside we were on our own here searching for the manic sounds, and the moonlight lit up all around.” In much the same way, the beginning of each song seems to be probing for a certain sound and slowly, it becomes illuminated by the other members, each bringing their own vibe.

“Haunted” has a dancey, lounge-music style breakdown that comes off like a Modest Mouse track, then quickly smooths into something all its own.

Much of the album has a similar feel, and it forms a solid flow. Stylistically, Audiences shifts from one mood to another within each track. “Sisters” begins with a soft, gospelic quality, then rides off with a repetitive and hammering riff into another solo that transforms into a jam. It is a shining example of those various influences playing into each other. However, the album as a whole doesn’t seem to travel far from the starting point.

Audiences is a tight package; however, it isn’t anything terribly exciting. The members each bring their own style to the EP and the fusion of all these makes for a unique sound with a lot of gripping feel to it. As the band progresses, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them break from the simple song formats and create more incredible music.

Audience – EP Tracklist:

1. “Ghosts”
2. “Where’s That Comin’ From?”
3. “I Swear”
4. “Sisters”
5. “Midnight Hound”
6. “Haunted”

Emeralds is a trio from Cleveland comprised of John Elliott and Steve Hauschildt on synth and guitarist Mark McGuire. Their sound is a modern electronic spin of the 1970s kosmische artists–something in between Oneohtrix Point Never and Ash Ra Tempel. Emeralds is also one of the busiest musical collectives in recent memory. Constantly recording, they have released a slew of cassettes, EPs and now five LPs in less than six years, not to mention active solo projects.

Their forth proper album Does it Look Like I’m Here? in 2010 earned them critical acclaim and was a “breakout” album of sorts. It is a miraculously coherent mish-mash of arpeggiated synths, buzzing drones and sparkling loops that found Emeralds at their most accessible to date. Just over a month ago they announced the upcoming release of their first album since Does it Look Like I’m Here?.

Just to Feel Anything is dwarfed by its well-received predecessor; it is almost twenty minutes shorter and approximately half the tracks. Already the listener assumes that this will be a less momentous album. The opener, “Before Your Eyes,” reaffirms that notion. The song begins with a promising build-up but ultimately reaches a bit of post-rock boredom. “Adrenochrome” is expected to be trippy and terrifying to match the overdose scene from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but instead it predictably plods along ending with a guitar riff that sounds like it should be used to sell Dodge Rams.

“Everything is Inverted” and the title track are total mid-80s transplants. The former plays like the soundtrack to an impossible Marble Madness level and “Just to Feel Anything” could have been pulled from an old Ridley Scott sci-fi film score. These kitschy, chiptune tracks may initially put a smile on a video gamer’s face but resonate as creative retreats after more than a few listens.

Somewhat surprisingly, the quieter tracks on the album stand out. “Through & Through” is a creeping slice of new wave and “The Loser Keeps America Clean” is a sinister drone, both of which cleanse the audial palette between less memorable tracks. “Search For Me in the Wasteland” is easily the best track on the album, exhibiting McGuire’s exceptional layered guitar while Elliot and Hauschildt provide a soundscape dense enough to lose oneself in.

Just to Feel Anything is entirely listenable, though it leaves much to be desired in the wake of Does it Look Like I’m Here? After two years of creative silence from Emeralds, one would have assumed a release that was more innovative and adventurous (if not downright bombastic) but the album does show promise in some ways. “Search For Me” shows that they’re not afraid to hone their downtempo craft and on tracks like “Adrenochome” and “Everything is Inverted,” McGuire’s guitar finally starts to shine through as more than just an afterthought. Just to Feel Anything isn’t a creative step back per se, but rather a careful sidestep from a band that will likely continue to evolve.

Emeralds - Just to Feel Anything tracklist:

1. “Before Your Eyes”
2. “Adrenochrome”
3. “Through & Through”
4. “Everything is Inverted”
5. “The Loser Keeps America Clean”
6. “Just to Feel Anything”
7. “Search For Me in the Wasteland”

Maus Haus is proving that less is more, as they just shaved off nearly half of their band members in Light Noise.

The multi-instrument-playing now foursome (they used to be seven) hails from San Francisco and just recently signed with Lavish Habits, a recently formed electronic-infused indie label based in SF. Self-proclaimed for sounding “like a confection of Kraftwerk, the Beach Boys, and Sonic Youth,” Maus Haus is nestled in a good place with a label like Lavish Habits, which is small, local, focused on a niche and can concentrate on Maus Haus.

Light Noise, a seven-track LP, is a jumble of synth, electronic rock, ‘80s allusions, distortion and catchy drum beats that will devour listeners whole. The first single released, “No More Girls,” packs enough punch to carry the album and allow it to pass as danceable. “You Made My Radar” introduces the LP with a heavy bass that carries a Blue Man Group-esque feel. Unlike past tracks that were more rigid and rough, “Where?” is shoe-gazer orgy of synthesizers, complete with chilling, hollow chords.

Most of the tracks on the Light Noise are far more distorted than past Maus Haus releases. Melodies are filled in with long, trailing chords. Light Noise is a new direction, with a more polished and mature sound.

Songs from Light Noise probably sound great on stage. This is one of those albums that could be a ph experience live; but through household speakers, it lacks the dimension it deserves.

Maus Haus – Light Noise tracklisting:

1. “You Made My Radar”
2. “Where?”
3. “Hey Jean”
4. “Mouth”
5. “No More Girls”
6. “Nervous Friends”
7. “Night Shift”

Self-proclaimed “visceral and thoughtful” hip hop trio Treehouse comes out of Chicago with a world music sound and a style defined by fusion. 

Once any recording artist has passed the ten-year mark, it often comes as a surprise to many fans for the artist to continue writing and conceptualizing new records on a consistent basis. Andrew Bird is no exception to this category. Even after sixteen years of songwriting, including various side projects and six solo studio albums, the violin virtuoso continues to demonstrate his expertise in fiddlestick techniques, leaving no margin for error on his newest release Hands of Glory. Serving as a companion piece to the well-received, experimental Break It Yourself released earlier this year, the new album continues with tracks that embrace folksy melodies infused with a country-western feel.

In his press release, Bird explained that on Hands of Glory he hoped to “adapt my music completely to the atmosphere of the space and the season.”

Bird accomplishes this aim from the get-go on the opening track “Three White Horses.” The slow drum beat and steady bassline, complemented by the muffled guitar pickings and Bird’s wails, bring to mind the imagery of a rustic pathway in the autumn: leaves turning gold and red and dancing erratically as they drift to the ground. He furthers this idea by the danceable, upbeat guitar and violin riffs on his cover of “Railroad Bill,” typical of the county fair ambience. Ironically, the song is as far away from family friendly, as Bird describes the narrator’s tale of violent revenge against Railroad Bill.

Bird also adds a reworking of Break It Yourself’s “Orpheo Looks Back” (titled “Orpheo”). While “Orpheo Looks Back” possesses a wild, more youthful essence with cheery whistles, “Orpheo” captures a slower and more tranquil style. With a sadly, sweet violin solo, prior to the last verses, the somber feel of “Orpheo” transitions listeners easily to the final track, the instrumental (plus uninterpretable croons from Bird) “Beyond the Valley of Three White Horses.”

While many of the tracks seem to prove themselves as “experimental” for their distance from Bird’s characterized folk tunes and structures that we are all familiar with, the recording process for Hands of Glory proves to be the most remarkable factor of the LP’s experimentation. Using only a single microphone with all acoustic instruments, Bird recorded the entire album in a church and barn with his live band (yes, those are actual crickets chirping outside on “Beyond the Valley of Three White Horses”). In doing so, the hollow-bodied “recording studios” provide the warm feeling of wide-open spaces and countryside romanticism that envelopes the songs on the album.

Although many listeners might view Hands of Glory as an EP instead of an album due to the new material being limited to two songs, Bird proves the new record to rightfully deserve the “album” label. All the songs on the record, including the covers of Townes Van Zandt, the Handsome Family, Alpha Consumer, and the Carter Family, as well as “Orpheo” and the new material, capture the overarching themes perfectly, an essential feature for any record. Whether or not this suffices for listeners, Hands of Glory proves itself as a remarkable work of auditory art, providing listeners an escape from their bores and worries to a picturesque, bucolic dreamland of folksy relaxation.

Andrew Bird – Hands of Glory tracklisting:

1. “Three White Horses”
2. “When That Helicopter Comes”
3. “Spirograph”
4. “Railroad Bill”
5. “Something Biblical”
6. “If I Needed You”
7. “Orpheo”
8. “Beyond the Valley of the Three White Horses”

Some fans were introduced to Godspeed You! Black Emperor in 1998 upon hearing “East Hastings” off of their debut album F#A#∞, featured on the soundtrack to the instant cult-horror classic 28 Days Later.  Others were dutifully hooked with their incredible 2000 double-LP Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven.  Their third full-length, Yanqui U.X.O., was dismissed as a mediocre and formulaic follow-up to their back catalog.  Truth be told, it’s not an awful record and the harsh criticism may have been more a product of “How do you keep someone down on the post-rock farm after they’ve heard Lift Your Skinny Fists.”  Godspeed did continue to tour after the release of Yanqui, but there were no future releases on the horizon.  The announcement of a new record after a decade of studio silence, ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, came as a total surprise a few weeks ago.

The opening track, “Mladic,” is the first of two 20-minute tracks on ‘Allelujah that have been a part of their live performances since 2003.  It begins with a sampled vocal loop, “With his arms outstretched!”  immediately drawing the listener in (unlike some of GYBE’s earlier samples which sounded discrepant at times).  “Mladic” calls Super Furry Animals Olde Welsh song titling to mind and begins like the assembly of an army, slowly building in classic GY!BE fashion to a charging siege against a medieval castle.  Trebujets launch fireballs at the nine-minute mark leaving a valkyrie in their wake.  The castle crumbles a few minutes later, but out of the sonic rubble comes a vengeful juggernaut swinging a symphonic mace.  The track ends with metallic percussion as though Stomp were unleashed in a commercial kitchen.  It just works.  And it will bring a smile to all those post-rock/metal fans.

The two shorter tracks on the album (read: only six plus minutes long) “Their Helicopters’ Sing” and “Strung Like Lights at Thee Printemps Erable” come as a separate 7-inch accompanying the LP.  “Their Helicopters’ Sing” has as much brooding gloom as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.  The title’s confusing plural possessive is out of mind as soon as the surging drone is sliced by bagpipe blares recalling David Watson’s contribution to Glacial’s On Jones Beach earlier this year.

If any track exemplifies ascension it’s “We Drift Like Worried Fire” which is arguably Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s best work to date.  Unlike some instrumentals, “We Drift…” isn’t mere background music; it’s a whole other world for a listener to attentively immerse oneself in, a track that climbs, plateaus, climbs, rests and then sprints.  A plucked titter of four notes over feedback is methodically reinforced by filtered Walkmen-esque guitars, warm strings and a thumping bass drum for half the song.  At the midway point the listener is awarded an anti-solo as a breather before GY!BE depart on a steep hike on the darker side of the same peak.  Skittish cymbals give way to a rattling snare and menacing string bass before pounding drums and a minor to major chord switch allow the song to rise like a rocket.

“…Printemps Erable” is likely a reaction of sorts to the ongoing student protests in Quebec (GY!BE hail from Quebec after all) which began eight months ago regarding the proposed increase in university tuition; it has been referred to as “The largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian History,” though the track itself hardly feels reactionary.  Instead it seems to work in tandem with the album cover.  It plays like a hazy, krautrocky portrait of a fallout shelter with specters of scud missiles soaring overhead.  The greedy listener may wish for a third gargantuan closer, but it might be overkill for an LP.

Where other post-rockers may find themselves meandering during longer tracks, the well-seasoned Godspeed You! Black Emperor present two cohesive epics and two contemplative segues.  For a band that had laurels to rest on, ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! acts as a down comforter.  If GY!BE never releases another record they have nothing to apologize for, but if they choose to continue to record and release, godspeed and God bless.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! tracklist:

1. “Mladic”
2. “Their Helicopters’ Sing”
3. “We Drift Like Worried Fire”
4. “Strung Like Lights at Thee Printemps Erable”