Though Santa Cruz trio San Francisco Water Cooler have earned comparisons to Psychedelic Horseshit, Ganglians and Sic Alps-- they're much more adventurous than to simply be given the "lo-fi" tagging. Beneath the fuzziness of the recordings, SFWC's self-titled debut consisted of exceptional hooks, playful and sloppy musicianship, and exploratory, psychedelic improvisation. Their sophomore effort, appropriately entitled II, is no different.
If anything, II is more organized than its predecessor in certain spots, but at no point does it replace experimentation with a simplified sound. Maybe the only difference here is that there are 11 tracks as opposed to four, giving this album more "straightforward" songs than the last. "The Desert Waits Outside" opens the album with an outlandish homage to classic rock, using relentless soloing and guitar effects which serve for its nearly 7-minute length. Afterward, this album begins to grow increasingly less rocking, "Flashback" being the poppy, potential single that proceeds.
Once accessibility is absent, tracks like "Pond Leak" delve into obtuse and confounding song structures, similar to that of The Hospitals' Hairdryer Peace or Guided By Voices' more abstract fillers: the melodies are partially discernible, only to be obscured by the tape hiss and distorted guitar phrases. II reverts to a more comprehensible format on "Your Life Is A River," however uneasiness remains imminent, only to be emphasized by the scattered following track.
II leaves the listener in an inescapable daze; there are euphoric moments, but the majority of the time they're shrouded in disorientation. To the same extent as its tangibility, it incorporates a heavy dose of dissonance and substance, requiring a headphone-accompanied listen. It's lush with versatility and sonic density that is both contributed to, and hidden by, the fidelity. San Francisco Water Cooler cater to both accessible and inaccessible preferences in this case, both of which are executed with color and imagination.
[San Francisco Water Cooler Myspace]
[Buy II from Sun Sneeze Records]
No comments:
Post a Comment