Friday, May 15, 2009

Pell Mell – Interstate

An earthy, refreshingly straightahead U.S. answer to Britain's Durutti Column, this quartet serves up a dozen guitar-based alternative rock instrumentals on its Geffen debut. With organ, piano, and guitar trading lead roles, "Nothing Lies Still for Long," "Anna Karina," and "Vegetable Kingdom" (the lone track with a vocal, albeit a backwards one) are entrancing. Pell Mell are one of the great instrumental groups... They craft exquisitely beautiful, at times tears-inducing, melodic/rhythmic instrumental pieces. What sets Pell Mell apart from the post rock drone clones is that each individual has an incredibly strong instrumental "voice" that comes through on every recording. This is not a "jam band", but 4 like minds who somehow cohere around these fragile, spare, then driving and powerful, mini-masterpieces. This thing stands as a compelling statement of guitarology, a true-blue andidote to everything Britney. Like a bolt/jolt of central-cortex crack, this CD never fails. Just try to throw it our your car window. Can't be done.

1. Nothing Lies Still Long 2. Revival 3. Anna Karina 4. Saucer 5. Pound Cake 6. Constellation 7. Blacktop 8. Butterfly Effect 9. Drift 10. Vegetable Kingdom 11. Ether 12. Floating Gate

pmist

1 comment:

KL from NYC said...

New (for me) error message from Sharebee:
"Due unknown reasons this action has failed. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and we appreciate your patience. Our staff has been notified of this problem and will launch an investigation to find out how this can occur, please try again later."
I tried "later," too.
I'll try again "later."

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