Labels: self released
Review by: Oli Saunders
This album was released in 2007 but I believe up until very recently it has been barely accessible, hence I’ve chosen to review it in an attempt to make it slightly more heard (go visit Bandcamp). The Scarecrow Frequency is a one man project that I have fawned over numerous times on Collective, yet still there appears to only be two people in the UK who appreciate the music of John Argetsinger. And Somber Atlantic is where it all started. Described by John as ‘ drum loops, no bass, upstate ny. first released in 100 cdr digipacks with unemployment money’, it captures a man, influenced by the likes of Duster, experimenting with music and using it as a tool for emotional output. Tracks like ‘Hope’ and ‘San Antonia’ play repeated grooves that sit well with this listener, but it’s the ones like ‘For Duster’ and ‘Sell all my Nightmares for Sand’ that are truly special; John’s outpourings are added to the mix and it all just clicks. I doubt that whoever invented music ever intended it to turn out like this but songs like this need to exist. I miss The Static Cult, I miss the one or two bands that would release a record on that label each year. I’m not sure what’s happened to music as all the genres I get excited about have petered out over the last few years. Please can somebody other than James Bunten tell me how good this band was? It will make my day.
16th May 2014