CD: Califone - Echo Mine | reviews, news & interviews
CD: Califone - Echo Mine
CD: Califone - Echo Mine
Chicago's finest rock experimentalists return after seven years
Inevitably expectations were high, given that this Chicago experimental rock band are one of my favourite groups of the 21st century, and this is their first album for seven years. And at first it’s hard to know what to make of Echo Mine.
As with a film soundtrack, this is music designed not to get all the attention but to be part of something much larger. Having grasped this, it’s possible to appreciate the grace and beauty of the whole for its admirable restraint. There’s an "old armchair" ease in how core members Tim Rutili, Ben Massarella and Brian Deck work together. Rutili, in particular, seems to have long been preoccupied by the idea of conveying the physical presence of the objects from which the sounds issue: how brutally or softly the guitar strings have been struck; how a ride cymbal metallically sings with a presence that suggests it's hanging in the air before you; or how a synth sound appears to have been chosen for its specific vintage, just as you’d choose the right wine for a meal.
At one profoundly moving juncture Claire Bataille’s gentle voice looms out of the sonic forest, talking to some interviewer, once upon a time, about finding her inner performer to help get her through the day as she struggled with her illness. Like everything Califone have produced there’s a lot to take in, layers to penetrate, textures to unravel and lyrics to be baffled yet oddly moved by. Oh and by the way, the three "proper" songs are all absolute jewels, particularly the crawling, swelling “Night Gallery/Projector” and the languid yet celebratory “Snow Angel”. If it’s songs you're after, that is.
rating
Share this article
Add comment
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
Comments
The record is called Echo
You're right of course. Now