There just might be a certain warped truth to the phrase "guilt by
association." As in the case of Red Sparowes, its formal associations
with such heavy, propulsive bands as Neurosis, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever
would lead you to expect that the Los Angeles quintet's debut would be a
masterfully crafted epic of primal urgency.
It is.
However, Red Sparowes is epic without bombast, heavy without a single
barre-chord riff and eviscerating without any clearly audible vocals. The
chiming, spindly layers of effect-laden guitars and the swinging, entrancing
drums on its Neurot Recordings debut At the Soundless Dawn create textures
reminiscent of Goblin, Tones on Tail, Godspeed You Black Emperor and early
Sonic Youth. Its attack is syrupy and serpentine; subtle but frighteningly
deliberate.
Red Sparowes is comprised of Bryant Clifford Meyer on guitar (Isis), Josh
Graham on guitar (Neurosis visuals and acclaimed video director), Greg Burns
on bass and pedal steel (also of Temporary Residence dark chamber folk
sextet Halifax Pier), Andy Arahood on bass/guitar (Angel Hair) and David
Clifford on drums (The VSS, Pleasure Forever). The album was recorded with
founding drummer Dana Berkowitz (The Cignal) and Isis bassist Jeff Caxide,
both of whom relocated at the end of 2004. The sum total of its sound,
however, stems more so from esoteric melodic guitar-surrealists of the
mid-80's Blast First and Too Pure hive than the fierce realism of the
aforementioned cabal of heavy-psych rock.
At the Soundless Dawn – an album of seven compositions with titles that fit
together as a complete paragraph -- opens with a rapidly strummed single
high-string building tension as distant, delay drenched
notes saturate an almost dance-beat drum pattern on "Alone and unaware,
the landscape was transformed in front of our eyes." Pedal steel notes
add a further layer of glissando urgency as ringing guitar notes climb
hand-over-fist upon an ascending line. The second track, "Buildings
began to stretch wide across the sky and the air filled with a reddish
glow" kicks in abruptly, sounding reminiscent of the taut and eerie
blasts of Italian horror film soundtrack masters Goblin. Icy, piercing
guitars jut out from the speakers as rapid bass arpeggios drive the
tune ever nearer. Comparisons to the more lulling and lush tunes from
the My Bloody Valentine masterpiece Loveless would not be off the mark
for the third track – a beautifully constructed four-and-a-half minute
piece of gorgeous, somber guitar work -- although the band would likely
be reluctant to accept such a compliment.
Throughout the album, transitions glide and instruments smudge into a
warm wash of tones. It's an orchestral wall of sound that is equally as
entrancing as it is unnerving. The 12-minute album closer, for
instance, gradually builds tension with clever use of smeared, formless
guitar notes that create a sense of three-dimensional sound as notes
seem to move from background to foreground, flitting around an
imaginary room. Sparing tom drum rolls add to the growing
claustrophobia, until ever-rebuilding waves of strings cascade into a
grand crescendo that finishes as mysteriously as it began.
Although the band members are indeed tied to many other projects, Red
Sparowes is not just a side-project. The band has toured the US with
the Dillinger Escape Plan and label-mates Made Out of Babies, as well
as a very successful headlining European/UK tour in Spring 2005. In
August-September, the band embarks on a full national tour with
Pelican, Big Business and Breather Resist.
While At the Soundless Dawn uses vocals as subtle instrumentation, the
group plans to incorporate voices further into its sound. This stunning
introduction to Red Sparowes, recorded in San Francisco by engineer
Desmond Shea (who also did additional engineering on the recent
Neurosis album, The Eye of Every Storm) is just the beginning for a
band that promises to change the way we think about heavy music. Its
family of related artists is certainly good company. But, where their
common goals to experiment with epic, cathartic music meet, Red
Sparowes branches far outside of the expected boundaries.
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Photo by Brendan Tobin Photography
Links
www.redsparowes.com - Official Site
Tour Dates
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Check our tour page for more.
Discography
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▪ Red Sparowes, Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun
(NR 045) CD [buy]
▪ Red Sparowes, At the Soundless Dawn
(NR 035) [buy] |
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Media
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