In recent months, LoAF have managed to issue an impressive array of steadfastly left of centre releases, developing their reputation as a label notable for the reliable quality and quirkiness of their roster. The arrival of this single offering from Extra Life had all the right credential for being an exciting addition to the catalogue. 'Medieval-tinged urban prog rock' should surely be pretty out there and off the wall, but on the strength of this... well, it's disappointing. Drab, dull, insipid-sounding, what really lets 'Black Hoodie' down is that it's rather safe (and not in the 90s street sense) and conventional, hushed acoustic folktronica that's more medieval - in its instrumentation, whereby the plucked strings of harps and lutes are in evidence, if nothing else - than urban, while the prog and rock elements are distinctly absent.
The cover of R Kelly's 'Your Body's Callin'' builds some nice tension, but I'd recommend skipping the radio edit in favour of the full-length version where the listener's patience is rewarded when the tension finally gives way to a climactic finale of an off-key intensity worthy of Michael Gira's post-Swans output (although as a musician capable of creating jaw-droppingly ferocious music with only his voice and an acoustic guitar, Gira remains unsurpassed). The remix of 'Head Shrinker' courtesy of Tyondai Braxton of Battles is by far the most attention-grabbing and interesting track on here, being jittery, skittery and magnificently unpredictable. On balance, there's not nearly enough excitement across the four tracks to demand much by way of repeat listening.
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