The Strenuous Satisfaction of Talbot Tagora
October 1st, 2009
Lessons In The Woods Or A City, the Hardly Art-issued debut from local racket-eers Talbot Tagora, is not a record one should delve into lightly or unwittingly. That may sound like a turn-off, but it’s meant simply as a warning. I want you to know what you’re getting into, because when it comes to music consumption, particularly in today’s inhale-everything-at-warp-speed climate, we should be free to wrestle ourselves from its clutches and take the time to smell those beautiful roses across the way. We should spend the effort to dissect—and enjoy—a record without fear of cyberspace flying by and leaving us in the dust. I know I’m not the only one grappling with the hyper-saturation of our music culture. Fortunately for us, this record presents a pristine chance to slowly dive in.
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And just what are we diving into? I’ve been listening to Lessons for a good several weeks now, and, admittedly, it’s taken some time absorb. I was excited about what I first heard out of the band many moons ago, but that was merely a snippet. Now I’m engulfed in its full form. The trio’s ardent output is rife with haunting, atypical rhythms, oblique guitars shrouded in drone and reverb, and echoing vocals cloaked cryptically in both their content and audibility. There are few refrains, and lyrics are made up of nonsensical tales, abstract imagery, and convoluted, anti-culture rhetoric. It’s an arresting collection of angled, like-minded punk songs laced with a gaunt hypnosis, a deathly fluidity that demands repeat listening. If only to figure out what the hell is going on within all that chaos.
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Thanks to the onslaught of downward chord progressions, high-pitched spectral vocals, and crooked, off-time drumming, you’d be forgiven for being lulled into mistaking this as a soundtrack for a fast-paced film about a religiously deranged psycho. Guitarist/vocalist Chris Ando, in fact, has said the occult has influenced the band’s songwriting. This is no more evident than in “Ichthus Hop”, a spry, disillusioned jaunt galvanized by Ando and Mark Greshowak’s metalloid guitar brandishing. Their instruments sing as if unfurled from a scabbard. Drummer Ani Ricci flaunts her agility and inclination for irregularity throughout, especially on “Mouth Rainboy” and “Mixed Signals Through Miles Of Pilgrimage”. “Replacing the Northwest” is a favorite, given its robotic bass line and repetitive verse. The band gets a bit brighter on “Perception Stick”, mostly due to the male/female vox and the coy pleas of “Feed me honey / Break me out of jail”. The rumbling bass, thunderous and low, is an odd complement.
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The band recently hinted at a pending hiatus—not a breakup—but here’s hoping they at least outlast the truncated lifespan of their namesake to make a few more records. I’m sure I’ll need some time to digest those, too.
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Mixed Signals Through Miles Of Pilgrimage
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