The Octopus Project - Hello, Avalanche

Download: The Octopus Project - "Vanishing Lessons"
Download: The Octopus Project - "Truck"
Download: The Octopus Project - "An Evening With Rthrtha"

The Octopus Project
Hello, Avanlance (Peek-A-Boo Records, 2007)
Grade: B

One of the most appealing aspects of instrumental post-rock is that it isn't confined to verse-chorus-verse song structure. As a result, the subgenre has much more room to experiment with sounds and instrumentation. The most notable of these groups use a standard rock configuration as a springboard to sonic adventurousness, as well as a catalyst for their own potentially boundless creativity.

However, there are some groups, most notably Canada's Broken Social Scene, who have used the post-rock template to create instrumentals that help give more straightforward (within the context of indie-rock, mind you) pop records a slightly more cryptic feel to them. Think of songs like BSS' "Late Night Bedroom Rock For The Missionaries" from You Forgot It In People. To me, these tracks are usually the least exciting, though still worthwhile ultimately. The problem is that they can't seem to shit or get off the experimental musical pot. In other words, they're not out there enough to be fully engaging, but are also too strange for someone to just turn their brains off and soak in the ambience.

The Octopus Project, a band hailing from Austin, TX, have created an entire record full of primarily instrumental songs called Hello, Avalanche. Though the album is definitely enjoyable - "I Saw The Bright Shinies" has vocal manipulations that sound awesomely ghostly - listening to Hello, Avalanche made me wonder why these particular songs were instrumentals to begin with. Sure, tracks like "A Evening With Rthrhta" and "Mmaj" bounce along with enthusiastic grooves (the latter has a distinctly techno vibe, while the former has a slinky, syncopated bass line that fuels the songs dance-ability) and the rest of Avalanche has an upbeat mood that makes tasks like doing laundry feel like nothing.

But listening to Avalanche feels like hearing the foundations of songs that are awaiting vocal tracks. Only a select few, such as "Upmann", are exploratory enough to where you feel like you are actually hearing something experimental. Though Hello, Avalanche is a good listen, one feels like The Octopus Project should have (like the post-rock forebearers) push the envelope just a little bit more and, in doing so, would have come up with something great, rather than something good.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Video: The Octopus Project, "Truck"

(YouTube, via Pitchfork)

(Jonathan Graef)

Tonight: Octopus Project At The 7th Street Entry

Download: The Octopus Project - "I Saw The Brigght Shinies"
Download: The Octopus Project - "Snow Tip Cap Mountain"
Download: The Octopus Project - "Vanishing Lessons"

Tonight at the 7th Street Entry blog buzz band
The Octopus Project will be playing a 21+ show. The band is touring behind its just-released third album, Hello, Avalanche. Look for an MFR review tomorrow. Tickets are 8 dollars, both in advance and at the door. Opening will be Beatrix Jar and Unicorn Basement.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

*600th post!

Enon - Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds

Download: Enon - "Mr. Ratatatatat"
Download: Enon - "Mirror on You"

Enon
Grass Geysers…Carbon Clouds (Touch and Go, 2007)
Grade: B

It's been a busy Tuesday for releases. Enon's first new album in four years, Grass Geysers…Carbon Clouds is out just in time for late fall/early winter listening parties.

After waiting four years for this record, I was kind of unsure where they were going to go with it. Each record is always kind of a surprise for fans, and this time around they did something I kind of expected: they made the big rock record.

On a first listen through, this struck me as the record that Metric's Live It Out should have been. Everything about Grass Geysers has been put under a microscope, examined and perfected. It's a high-energy that doesn't hide behind its enthusiasm by simply blasting through each song, but instead pays attention to every detail. Its perfectionism gets a little tiring by the end, but that's a pretty good criticism to earn.

Grass Geysers…Carbon Clouds opens with one of the biggest bangs since the universe started. "Mirror On You" and "Colette" couple squealing guitars with jittery, up-too-late bass and vox to set a frantic, unhinged pace for the record.

And they keep it up the whole time. But that's also kind of the problem with Grass Geysers. There are no slow songs that allow you to catch your breath. There are no stand out tracks. Each song on it's own is incredibly strong, but they all pound this same heavy rock sound. So, while an album with no bad tracks is a good thing, an album on which all the songs have the same feel is not such a great thing. There's a lot of good songs on here for mixes, and the album is a good study album, but I found it pretty tough to sit down and blast through the whole thing without my mind wandering.

If you're looking for a record that has a little more variety, you should check out Enon's tour mates The Octopus Project's Hello, Avalanche. Not to mention, if you're running a little low on happy, this record is a great little pick-me-up. Out on Peek-a-Boo Records, you can pick up the record here.

Download: The Octopus Project - "I Saw The Bright Shinies"

The Octopus Project MySpace Page
Enon MySpace Page

(April Wright)