There's a suggestion of restrained noise in the slightly wobbly, budget-production instrumental opener, 'Robert.' There's also a hint of Pavement about it. This paves the way (excuse the pun) for the minor-chord focused 'Squirrel and the Fox,' which rather reminds me of Band of Susans. There are some brooding strings in the mix, and the vocals are comparatively low as the guitars repeatedly threaten to break into racket, but hold off, with the song instead tapering off, quite unexpectedly, into avant-garde experimentalism for the mid-section.
It isn't until track three, 'Every Superstition Shall Be Removed,' that our man Alastair J. Chivers (who is, singlehandedly, Deathpodal), really begins to let rip, with a strangled guitar sound that jars with a howled vocal and reminds me of Tar at their best. It's all clear from the press release: Chivers is 'influenced by a bunch of bands like Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Slint, PJ Harvey, Gang of Four etc. A mix between cool melodies and off key noisy sections.'
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Yep, all present and correct, and while 'Sycamore' is more avant-garde and piano-led, the seven-minute epic that is the concluding track, 'There is a Diagram for This,' is a magnificently constructed composition that's slow-burning and shadowy, punctuated by some jolting and angular guitar and strings and anguished-sounding vocals, not to mention screes of angry guitar noise. At last! It's worth the wait, but then he's off again with an experimental noise passage that's on the eerie side.
Anything but predictable, this is an exciting debut.
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