LOSE
26 August 2014
Barsuk
4 stars out of 5
Staten Island indie rockers give us their third LP, though it becomes
less and less believable that they are from NYC, or even the USA,
with each release. England, circa ten years ago? Sure, I'd buy that
story. Regardless, LOSE is a well-written, well-performed
album of ambitious, almost symphonic indie rock. It's a sleeper that
grows more impressive with successive listens, revealing details
hidden in the distorted haze of guitars, a bit like the skyline of
Bayonne emerging from the early morning fog across the Kill Van Kull.
(I'm only imagining that this is a thing, having been to neither
Staten Island nor Bayonne. But I digress.)
Cymbals Eat Guitars are at their best when they extend their material
beyond five or six minutes, letting their compositions play out in
multiple variations. Songs like “Jackson” and “Place Names”
show their affinity for prog-indie, the latter seeming to be a tip of
the hat to the genius of Dan Bejar. The eight-minute adventure of
“Laramie” meanders through various different tempos and swirling
motifs before safely depositing the listener at the doorstep of the
sunny pop melody of “Chambers.” Things come to a close with “2
Hip Soul,” another constantly mutating epic that sounds a bit like
Arcade Fire in straight-ahead rock mode.
One of the better back-to-school LPs released so far this season,
LOSE is definitely worth your attention if you're one of those
folks still holding out hope that indie rock has something worthwhile
to offer. Give it your patience and it will give you its treasures.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
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