Make A Rising – Infinite Ellipse and Head with Open Fontanel

Make A Rising – Infinite Ellipse and Head with Open Fontanel  / 2008 High Two / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/makearising /

Make A Rising is an odd band. A track like “All One or None” is a track that has little more to it than a plinking piano and a falsetto vocal that imbues the track with a decidedly fifties flair. While the instrumentation does not have any easy referent, the vocals approach at times the Beach Boys, even if the harmonies achieved are not sustained for as long or as intense of a way as the Beach Boys. “Peaceful Paths” is the next song, and it has a more coherent approach than was previously present on “All One or None”. This is done through the inclusion of a guitar and the placement of that guitar in a focal part of the track.

This mature track will undoubtedly elicit more support than the disjointed efforts that have preceded the track, and it shows Make A Rising that they can come up with a track that is simultaneously expansive and able to forward a specific agenda. The biggest question is whether Make A Rising will be able to continue drawing on the momentum granted them during “Peaceful Paths” during the follow-up track “Woodsong, Pt. 1”. “Woodsong, Pt. 1” varies things up considerably, having a flittering, more nature-like sound present. This style goes into a more circus-like, bouncy style during “Bradford’s Big Boatride”, which brings back the vocals to increase the harmonies crafted during the track. “Bradford’s Big Boatride” shifts tempo and overall sound a number of times, ensuring that listeners will not be able to identify where Make A Rising will go in the minutes and tracks to come.

What results during “Boatride” is one of the most memorable tracks on “Infinite Ellipse”, and what will get the most adherents for Make A Rising’s unique approach to music.  Listeners will have to invest a lot into “Infinite Ellipse and Head with Open Fontanel” to get anything out of the album, but the rewards that are associated with each of the tracks far outstrip what individuals have placed into the track. It may be a little hard for individuals that have been acculturated to popular styles of music to appreciate what Make A Rising does here, but there are wide-sweeping tracks that will stick with listeners long after they put the CD back up on their shelves.

Top Tracks: Peaceful Paths, Look, I’m Almost Dead

Rating: 7.0/10

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