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Gritty
little album that this San Fran bunch has crafted. Ok,
maybe this is not little at all. Those alert enough got
to enjoy some of the auspicious sounds contained in
their EP Turk Street from last year. Well,
Gambling In the Richter Scale is a far richer
experience. Not that it expands or builds upon the
sounds presented before, but the songs themselves are
stronger beasts. The writing is improved. The songs are
more concise and poignant. And even though the tempo is
basically invariable throughout the album and the
delivery is still like a statue, Gambling On the
Richter Scale is engaging like few sludge meets
noise rock albums can be.
So that’s
what we are talking about. The guitars have the sludge tone.
They sound dirty, electric, almost fuzzy. They barely provide
feedback (the end of the album “More Like the Shit Factory” is
an exception) and the playing is restrained. There is a bit of
groove in the first half of the record. And even shy attempts
at coloring the noise with a different palette. The first track
“Annandale” is the perfect example. Here, Kowloon Walled City
even sound like a band willing to sacrifice their noise side
entirely. They soon get pulled back though and on “Diabetic
Feet” the groove is solid, if only often interrupted by left of
center stops and in “Clockwork” the band alternates between
distortion and clarity.
I find the
second half of the record to be more appealing. It seems more
angular and more personal. “Sleep Debt” is one of those rare
songs that alienates the good listener from the bad listener.
It’s slow and ugly and in the end dissipates into a vicious
rumble. “Bone Loss” runs over you at slow speed, then backs up
and runs over you again just to make sure you aren’t left
suffering. The riff is repetitive, incisive and decisive. It’s
among the best stuff this band has to offer.
Dudes are kind too. You can
download this album for
FREE here!
Official Site
MySpace |
