SOUNDTRACK: DO MAKE SAY THINK-Other Truths [CST062] (2009).
Other Truths is (so far) Do Make Say Think’s final album (they have been on hiatus since). I’ve mentioned this album before, but here it has context with the others.
There are only four songs on this disc and it really feels like a culmination of what they have been exploring with their more recent output. There is still experimentation (the shortest song is 8 minutes after all), but there aren’t the really strange sections like on the previous album (no weird drop outs or deconstructions). And, in fact, they have embraced more of the catchiness that the last album hinted at. The first song, “Do” (each song is named after one of the words in the band’s name) is one of the catchiest things they’ve done. It’s easily my favorite song from them
I love the guitar lick that runs through “Do” a series of two note patterns that are surprisingly catchy. The drums are wild throughout as the rest of the song chugs along nicely. It’s 10 minute long though, and the whole thing is not that pattern. About 2 minutes in the bass takes over, playing a similarly interesting riff before some dissonant guitars ring out and the band resumes with a new section of the song. Some voices (from Akron/Family and Lullabye Arkestra) enter the song singing gentle ah’s as the song progresses. The introductory riff resumes with some great additions. Then the horns blow over the top–making the song soar higher and higher while the rest of the band plays in the background. Around 7:30 the music all drops away except for some washes of keyboards. The song continues like that with some quieter washes until the end.
“Make” is a 12 minute song which has tribal drums and simple guitar lines to start with. The singing comes in around 2:30. There’s some great moments in this song where the guitars play simple riffs that grow and build and then the horns come in again. It’s a wonderful song with moments where the whole sounds of the song sounds so big and jubilant yet slightly menacing at the same time. By about 9 minutes tape manipulation glitches it to a halt with the drums getting slower and slower and deeper and the guitars expanding out as slow as can be. The last two minutes resurrect some ringing guitars and horns which grow and grow seem to be playing an elegiac coda for this song, It’s really beautiful, and it’s recorded so well it’s like you can hear the air being blown into them).
“Say” is also 12 minutes long. It opens with what sounds like foghorns, or tubas getting distorted almost by a Doppler effect. Then comes the rim shot drums and interesting effects sprinkled over the top. At about 2 minutes another great, simple guitar riff comes in–DMST has a way with making the simplest riffs sound great. The whole band kicks in and plays along with the riff. The song builds and ebbs, with the horns making the song feel huge. For a brief middle section the song get quiet with a fast-picked guitar section and strings. The end of this song (the last 2 minutes) also has a coda with horns but this one is mournful and quiet. The chorus joins in again. First with ohs and then with words.
“Think” ends the disc at a scant 8 minutes. It’s the quietest and most mellow song on the disc opening with jazzy drums and simple chords. The slow guitar riff is lovely and there are dark voices humming along behind them. Then you hear people talking in the distance, (I can’t make anything out) while a series of bass notes move the song forward. By 4 and a half minutes a new guitar line comes in and the song gets a little bigger but it’s still slow. The song never builds like the others; it stays quiet and slow, regretful and thoughtful, until it rings to a close.
This is a wonderful album full of all the great sounds of post-rock.
[READ: January 20, 2016] The Cute Girl Network
Imagine if you were a girl who moved to a new town and learned that there was a network of girls, cute girls, who kept tabs on all of the boys in town. And the network was in place to keep you informed of what a doofus jackass your new boyfriend was.
It’s not a bad idea. In fact a lot of good could come from it. But sometimes informed choices have to have some personal experience as well.
And that’s where Jane and Jack come in.
Jane is new to Brookdale Jane is pretty bad ass–she rides a skateboard and does amazing tricks. She also works in a skate shop She meets Jack when she wipes out in front of his soup kiosk. He helps her out with a bottle of iced tea for her ailing coccyx and then just hopes that he’ll see her again.
Jack lives with Gil and Ruth. Gil is a lunkhead who has been on a lot of first dates but few second ones. Ruth hasn’t been on too many dates herself. They both know that Jack is lazy (his previous wrote a song about him called “Layabout”) and a little dopey but he’s nice and kind-hearted and that’s what matters. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: LULLABYE ARKESTRA-Ampgrave [CST044] (2006).
I’m not sure what’s up with the spelling of Arkestra (Sun Ra tribute, perhaps?), but “Lullabye” is certainly a misnomer. “Ampgrave” on the other hand is a pretty good summary of the music on this record.
I Just Read About That... 