I've been told not to use "I" too much, but I kind of have to if I'm going to review this one.  Having listened to Olekranon's Identi and hoping they would blossom some more, I was excited to finally get a newer release.  This one, entitled {bilal} is a definite step in the right direction, but still, these guys have a tendency to push uncertain listeners over the edge before they get a chance.  This time around, though, I don't think it matters.  Damn fine release here.

{bilal} is a retail-ready CD, packaged in the usual jewel case.  The artwork is quite close to Identi, and it appears the same artist was at work here.  In fact, the front cover almost looks identical to the other.  Inside you get more of this guttural, organ-obsession with a Georgia O' Keefe flair.  Looks quite nice.  The content, however, has gone further than Identi.

{bilal} has a lighter feel to it at points, but still retains that harsh, tape-hiss style of Identi.  Olekranon is a big fan of distortion, to the point that at times everything seems overamplified.  This time around, however, this is contrasted more clearly with beautiful guitar lines, keyboards, better beats, and more structured noise.  The noise has been utilized as more of an instrument instead of the usual randomness without direction you find in so many experimental bands.  Add to this some excellent rhythm (not sure if some are real or mechanical, so great job there) and {bilal} fills out nicely.  There is a lot of meditative atmosphere and even the occasional "vocals" that divert your attention from the patterning.  Vocals are placed in quotes there, because again, like the noise, what you'll hear is used more as an instrument.  It's not the traditional singing or screaming or what not.  They're used for their musical quality, which is generally applied through various effects and layered over the rest of the music.

{bilal} also has an excellent track selection.  Though the first song, "adamkan" seems like the winner, the more you listen to the rest of it the more you realize how concise it all is.  It's impossible to pick out any one song that stands above the others, so Olekranon has accomplished the rare task of making an album instead of one or two songs and a bunch of shit.  The levels of indie rock and noise rock that are played with here are much more involved than Identi and never reach the point where they'd be accepted by a more mainstream audience.  A number of times through {bilal} you'll find yourself confronted, searching within the various layers of hiss for the movement, and when it comes to the surface you take it in like water at the end of a desert.  It seems the band is quite clear what they're about now with this release, and any uncertainty on the part of the listener is leveled and shat upon in about five minutes.  You either take this shit and love it or you go home and listen to ohGr and pretend like you know what underground means.  Good stuff, give me more.

Written by Arkus

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