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Concert Thu May 03 2007
Surplus Value For Your Ears
If Broken Social Scene perfected anthems for seventeen-year old girls, the noise operas constructed by Brooklyn's Parts & Labor can best be described as anthems for middle-aged mechanics. In other words, move over AC/DC. While inserting simple, Celtic-esque harmonies onto layers upon layers of guitar squall, schizophrenic drums, and electronic freak-outs might seem overbearing, the forumla works well and it doesn't take much effort to see a gaggle of oil-stained work bibs bobbing in time to the rhythm. Indeed, with Mapmaker, Parts & Labor's fourth album due out May 22nd on Jagjaguwar, the three piece have made their most accesible record to date. Opener "Fractured Skies" builds upon layered noised until it climaxes in a barrage of joyous horns. "Long Way Down" grows from a simple guitar hook and running-in-place tom licks to add sharp cymbal notes and then melts down into a screeching keyboard fuzz-jam. Minutemen anit-war cover "King of the Hill" avoids any Hank Hill references and instead re-interprets the song with flute swirls, high-end keys and pounding percussion. If you can make it through the 2 minute intro that sounds like a TV getting its guts ripped out, "Ghosts Will Burn" rewards with a quirky drum-driven ode to the supernatural. Bombastic closer "Knives and Pencils" drops in the middle into a lone synth hook that then builds back up into an everyman noise-anthem. It's what P&L do best - tear it down to build it up.
To get torn up and rebuilt yourself, make plans to see Parts & Labor support Mapmaker as the second act opening for ADULT. tomorrow night at the Empty Bottle (details here). Already got Air tickets you can't ditch? No worries, the noise crew will return to the Bottle on July 3rd on the back leg of the tour.