Make
no mistake, Chicago’s Crown Larks have their credentials to certifiably Rock
the Fuck Out, sure, but their true mastery of technical skill and composition
comes out most strikingly in their slower moments. Note, I cannot in good
conscience say ‘calmer’, as the entire tape could easily be a concept album of
being stuck in a Really Bad Situation, with the task of walking NYC’s back
alleys from dusk until dawn, nervously ambling past packed nightclubs, wo/men
of the night, hobo fights, junkies making their final flight, distant
ambulances constantly howling from just within earshot. This whole dis-ease is
ubiquitous throughout these seven songs (only one of which falls markedly short
of the five minute mark) and, damn, if it ain’t every bit as moody as
blackmetal… but far more dynamic, really, like holding your hand through a darkened-rainbow-slew
of varying panic attacks and near kidnappings, until some pinks tint the smog
overhead and your halfway house is just around the corner.
Thoroughly
enjoyable, if not a bit nerve wracking. Do yourself a favor and carve out some
time to have a good sit with the entirety of it (via the bandcamp link below),
as a cursory scanning won’t do it any justice.
and/or
-
- Jacob An Kittenplan
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