Album of the Week: 11/16/08

Boris - Akuma No Uta

"Genre-hopping" is an activity practiced by few groups as well as Boris, whose alternations between 70's rock, drone metal, and stoner/grunge leave them perpetually unpredictable. Akuma No Uta makes this characteristic of the group evident immediately, with the listener's first glance at the cover. Guitarist Takeshi is seen in a parody of Nick Drake's Bryter Layter pose, holding an instrument which literally enables him to do two completely different things at once.

This unclassifiable aspect of Boris' music is part of the reason Akuma No Uta is such an interesting album. The opening track (aptly titled 'Introduction') is consistent with the heavy, feedback-soaked sound Boris experimented with on Absolutego and At Last: Feedbacker. As "Intro" screams to a close, however, the band suddenly tears into 'Ibitsu'- a much faster song which is more consistent with the style of the band's previous album, Heavy Rocks. I've always been impressed with Boris' ability to pull off phenomenal transitions, and this one is no exception. In some respects, the momentally slow, roaring atmosphere of 'Intro' makes 'Ibitsu' seem like the most intense song ever written, a trick that Boris seems to really enjoy.

Not all of the transitions work, however. 'Naki Kyoku', the album's longest track, begins with a very lyrical, relaxing guitar section, but Atsuo's vocals mar the surface as the tempo increases. 'Ano Onna no Onryou', which follows, seems almost tacked on, and is easily the weakest track on the album. As the final track brings the album "full circle," one cannot help but think that Boris could have tried a little harder, and released an album that was much better. Then again, at this point in their career, the band was recording everything in one take, which lends their music a sort of honesty that many artists lack entirely. When Wata manages to evoke a sort of post-apocalyptic Hendrix on 'Ibitsu', there's no sense that studio trickery was involved- when Boris rocks, they rock, and when they don't, they don't. If only everything were that simple.

Highly recommended.

Album of the Week: 11/2/08

Tim Berne's Caos Totale- Pace Yourself

Technically speaking, this is the album of the past three weeks, but I'm secretly hoping you'll smile, nod, and act like nothing happened.

Although I'm writing about this album now, I think it will probably take a few more spins before I really understand what Berne is trying to accomplish. For a jazz album, the material is remarkably diverse- varying from lengthy avant-garde saxophone jams to almost 70's-rock-like pieces. The group as a whole, however, isn't quite as interesting as the ideas frequently expressed by the individual musicians. In particular, Bobby Previte's drum work is absolutely outstanding, notably so during his extended solo on "The Noose". Berne's saxophone playing, while occasionally difficult to follow, is very striking and intense, and there are a few extremely clever plunger-brass sections. I wish I could say more about the dynamics of the group, but I felt like my attention was perpetually being drawn between members of the band, talented as they all are.

Recommended for fans of free jazz, or adventurous fans of regular jazz.

Also, I'm going to see Philadelphia-based mashup artist Girl Talk at First Ave tomorrow, so I'll try to post a review and/or pictures of that show. I'm excited.