Posted on: July 13, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Coltrane Motion and I know each other. Yup, their performance at one of my shows a year or so ago was one of the more memorable times I’ve had, and this is the first time I’ve really had the chance to hear anything studio-wise. “Pi Is Exactly Three” uses a strong synth presence to push forward the track, but the sedate nature of the track really holds back the achievable glory. This form of restraint comes back in a strong way during “The End of Every Movie”, which has Coltrane Motion taking the role of The Postal Service, using the same shadowy vocals and airy dance beat to make the track. “Supersexy ‘67” uses a herky-jerky, continually-changing brand of arrangement repete with harmonica to make for a lush, vibrant trope for Bond’s vocals. What does come up as one of Coltrane Motion’s strongest suits are the impressively styled drum arrangements found on the disc, with tracks like “I Guess The Kids Are Ok” sounding practically real in its presence.

Coltrane Motion has the slightly-Spartan, dry mastering that is all the rage among indie circles, and it would surprise no one if Bond and eir spooky kids made it onto CMJ lists. Flashes of Tegan and Sara and New Order really push the final track forward as a sleeper dance hit. The hum that exists during “Pi Is Exactly Three” provides one of the main criticisms during the disc; the hum is present enough that it detracts from Bond’s already-quiet voice, and relegated the spoons-sounding percussion into a place far in the background. “No Well Ok…” starts out with a Killers-esque synth line and rapidly drops out to include a standard drum line – the energy that was accumulated in the first ten seconds is squandered as Bond achieves a nineties-era Bono tenor.

One thing that can be said positive about “No Well Ok” is the track that the album is seamless; while it is mentioned that the album is “culled from … home recordings…as well as new, unreleased material”, the continuity enjoyed by the tracks on this disc far outstrips even those bands that record their music in one session. Spontaneity suffers as a result of this continuity, however, and the intensely small box in which all the tracks reside in needs to be broken out, and Michael, Matt, and Pete really need to try some new garnishes for their musical dishes.

Top Tracks: I Guess The Kids Are Ok

Rating: 6.8/10

Coltrane Motion – No Well Ok Maybe Just A Little / 2005 Datawaslost / 4 Tracks / http://www.coltranemotion.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 01 April 2005

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