Labels: The Static Cult
Review by: Oli Saunders
Turn the reverb up slightly, set controls to autopilot, and let’s depart on the experimental space-rock highway. The first and second songs on this album tell you a lot about what you need to know about Breasts (no puns in this review are intended!). The first contains a repetitive riff throughout, but with different instruments fading in and out at different points. Slight improvisation in the middle and multiple layers throughout, overall there’s not a great deal going on but it carries itself through solidly and this is partly what the genre is about – mesmerising and hypnotic riffs that you nod you’re head to like you’re in a trance. The second song goes much further, introducing the vocals of Clay Parton and much more experimentation – definite links to Eiafuawn here in the general sound. There’s a nice distorted guitar in places and later on a harmonica and lead guitar play in the background. Importantly, they don’t use a myriad of instruments just because they can; they do it because they want this to be an adventure both for themselves and the listener.
The rest of the album plays out in similar fashion. It’s very repetitive and minimalistic but, having said that, there are lots of different instruments and vocalists to keep things interesting. There are four main people in the band but numerous songs have additional players; it’s as if they have come up with some ideas and then got a load of their friends involved too, perfectly exemplifying the experiemntal nature. This album was originally released in 2008 and I hope the band continue to write music as once again, a band on The Static Cult is pushing the boundaries of this type of music.
Overall, a very solid effort. I would advise the would be listener to check out some of the other bands on The Static Cult first, particularly The Butter Up Band, The Scarecrow Frequency, Canaan Amber and Eiafuawn, then move onto this (as well as Red Dunes and The Faded Tapes) if sufficiently impressed. I guess you can safely say that this band will never be stumbled across via a search engine.
16th November 2010