the latest record, 'social rust', is the most coherent to date but don't think of it as some sort of cop-out reach for accessibility (side B features some pretty long bands with that classic saxophone wailing). the perfect mix of free jazz and grunge (shit, dare i say pop?) melodies, it starts with just noise, segueing into the ripping opener 'odd'. the hits build from there, creating a signature sound. distant vocals, lost in a narcotic haze, pounding, plodding drums, catchy chord melodies and ripping, weird guitar solos that sound like they ended because the person playing them just dropped dead. that bleak psychedelic atmosphere is augmented with oceanic waves of discordant saxophones and plucked and pounded broken sounding pianos. i'm especially into the darker than dark semi acoustic number 'baby in the back room'.
here are a few preview tracks courtesy of northern spy records. (you can stream the whole thing at brooklyn vegan)
buy it on cd or digital from northern spy records. buy it on vinyl, with a bonus free cassette of alternate mixes, from dull tools records.
