If you are fortunate, your memory is an expressionist filmmaker. And certainly EATW are other-worldly enough to archive and play back with fish-eyed distortion. In the distance, expressionist memory is going to enshrine a certain way how Rachel Davies hair fell over her face and mic, hitting the sticks and single drum to Marching Song. This time she played the bass for most of the songs. That bass guitar seemed huge, bigger than her. And so you wanna do it again, see what comes next out of them. While the band orbits back from Brighton, England for their second time in Chicago a whole set of memories are built with this music playing around. When the imprint begins with the performance its an avalanche of euphoria that you want to stretch out. Like a library and Reckless Records crashing on top of you only instead of getting crushed to death you become at least way smarter and the worlds coolest human ipod. That was a little loopy of me. I guess what I meant to say is the experience of the band does not finish with that one performance that hits you. I can stretch that in various ways, buying the music, the shirt...if there is not enough for both, you have quite the first world problem on your hands. I think I recall them introducing themselves to the modest sized Empty Bottle audience, as coming from England. I don't recall them saying Brighton specifically. They are its best ambassador. Its really cool when they get specific. I like it when they show their local pride. It puts those names on our maps, other than those that we know in common. I'm grateful for the briefest of times spent in places other than London. Lets get to know Brighton and see them play to a home crowd.
I considered not going to the show and so getting the new CD later. That would set me up to regret not seeing them play Deathwaltz, Yellow Wood, Despair, these being the most impacting are the songs at the moment, making me a fan all over again. There is more forward drive than the previous release. Even dark psychedelia tends to wander about sometimes, but not here so much. Lyrics feel less ambiguous, dramatic and urgent but not over the top. I think I'll have an easier time exploring them, reading them. I won't go on that much about what this song means or that. Lyrics stick out all out of order and that invites further exploring. Deathwaltz lyrics end in the middle of the song and then its just them jamming, jamming, and it has the energy of a sudden and intense sprint. A racing across! And its like finding your second wind stronger than the first. This would have been great for my once regular stair-climbing. They must have played it because I remember intense periods of me time with their guitars and all. No singing. I thought that was awesome. Despair, their shortest song is also my favorite. Its all in the delivery when they load up dramatically and powerfully other-wise common statements like "we've come too far", "you're ready now". Well its also in what is said in between, and the reflections you find as you explore. How I would love one more minute of it. The track barely goes over two minutes. It sounds to me like they layer Rachel's voice, with one trailing behind. Wow, does that work. They have come very far indeed and for a while, they let me ride with them. They have emerged from the dark wood and found themselves a road to drive, and its Rachel at the wheel playing the bass in addition to being the voice. When you are done being a tourist you tend to take the more direct route, and you carry only what is essential.
Zig
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