« Oh, Jens... | Guitar Gods » |
Concert Mon Mar 24 2008
Not-so-'Familiar' Sounds Come With Locals @ Lakeshore Theater
Algernon don't simply wish to play songs: they are here to turn your entire world upside down. Or at least that's what they claim to in press releases. Despite the fact that I still find myself decidedly unflipped, these Chicago locals' newest release, Familiar Espionage, did take me through quite some ride.
One of the better tracks, "Beneath the Ailing Flesh" sets itself up like the Brady Bunch theme song being played through the chilling, slow radio from Apollo 13, taking itself from the upbeat feel of the previous song into a much darker place with ever more desperate but intense breaths for the deteriorating oxygen supply. Over the course of the album this formula stays pretty consistent, taking us through ups and downs in each 7 minute mini-journey whose destination is disappointingly always the place we began. They never can really release that 70s schwag type tone from their music, but when they do move past it their soundscapes move deeper into a very intriguing territory. The fine line separating noise rock from migraine is toed, but when it's good it's good, and they do nail it at points. Overall, however, those explorations are not enough to pull the album out of that repetitive feel and being stuck with a keyboard from a bad game-show.
Algernon will be playing the Lakeshore Theater tonight, the perfect kind of venue to make instrumental, "neopsycadelicpostrockjazz" soundtrips like these interesting. Show goes on at 8 PM and would be a good night for the $8 you'll spend. Algernon as well as Akasha will be opening for the soul jams of fellow Chicago octet Eli Jones.