Capillary Action
Fragments
Pangaea Recordings
2005
www.pangaearecordings.com
www.capillaryaaction.net
I should preface my comments by mentioning that while writing this I am listening
to The Stooges pound out "real cool time" so any literary indiscretions
can be attributed to their interference.
Ah well, where to begin. So much music these days is predicated on the experiments of the Mid-Nineties Prog Rock scene. Upstarts who wish to be daring will inevitably dredge up Tortoise or Fridge as a backbone for their sound. What results is neither fresh nor fun to listen to.
Enter Capillary Action.
When I first listened to Fragments I almost dumped it into the category discussed above. However, after some serious bonding with the album on a trip to the Mojave desert and found to my surprise that it is in fact as fresh a Spring meadow in April. Was it the illicit drugs or frequent doses of whisky? Who can say?
But I digress.
Fragments is an amazing
journey in sound and vision (thank you D.B.) and fluctuates between "slacker-happy"
Prog schemes, to a throbbing wall of sonic distortion. The kids know how to
dish out an collection of songs that slide between a smooth romantic kiss
and a kick in the jaw.
Tight arrangements of floating guitars and thumping drums keep time along
with a selective use of synths and the occasional tape loop. It's all a Tsunami
wave- so beautiful, yet so sinister in it's effect.
Capillary Action seems at home with experimentation and "play". It's no doubt that they've opening the door on some musical fodder that will evolve over the next few albums into a real masterpiece.
I can't wait.
-John Southern