TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2007
Clipd Beaks latest album Hoarse Lords (Lovepump United) showcases the dark side of psychdelia with the more pretentious side of indie rock. It makes for a great listen, but only if taken in small doses.
With unintelligible vocals that are more like wordless howling, thundering percussion and groove-oriented music that somehow break into shrieks and other shards of noise, Hoarse Loads evokes the sound of frustration and helplessness. Its One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest with an indie rock soundtrack.
Melter makes great use of guitars that seem to suffocate the listener forcing him to fight and pay attention to the other instruments in the background. Black Glass features buzzing electronic noises and one moment where guitars, bass, drums and vocals all sound a like creating a wall that may frustrate the average music listener. But if youre reading this review, youre probably not the average music listener.
With all of the noise thats thrown at you for almost 40 minutes, the acoustic number Let It Win closes the album on a bizarre note, which is something youd expect from someone in a strait jacket. If you have one of those rough days and you need to lose yourself in something that reflects said rough day, Hoarse Loads is the perfect album. A challenging, but eventually rewarding listen. - Stephon Johnson
