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Concert Thu Oct 23 2008
Enchanted by Roommate
"We laughed so much our chests caved in" is an interesting way to begin an album, but it doesn't sound at all out of place on Roommate's We Were Enchanted. The electronic instrumentation plus the wonderful strings laid out like pop, indie-rock or even contemporary classical at times is what makes this album a pleasure to hear with surprises throughout. I've never heard a record before with so many out of left field instruments sounding like they're meant to be played at the same time. Who else is playing güiro and keytar on the same song? What about Game Boy and harpsichord? (With this in mind, I would love to know what "brownie*" means in the liner notes for "New Steam." Speaking of that tune, there are elements of it that are awfully close to "March of the Siamese Children" from The King & I.) The 8-minute title track encompasses many of the features that make this the fullest-sounding Roommate record yet, though it's the simple "Night" (strangely enough, also the one that almost doesn't sound like it belongs) and closer "Isn't Radio" that stick out most. Kent Lambert and company have created an album that takes over the air and captures the listener's imagination.
Note: Roommate's Kent Lambert wrote in explaining the brownie: "The brownie is a homemade musical instrument created by David S. Moré (a sound artist/musician once based in Baltimore who now lives in Chicago). It's basically a Brownie Super 8 camera box with metal springs mounted on/in it and two contact mics--one suspended in a spring inside the box and the other stuck to an inside surface of the box. The mics output to 1/4" jacks that can be connected to mixers, pedals, etc. The springs can be struck with mallets (Mr. Moré made his from barbecue skewers and superballs) to make deep, gonglike sounds. Also mounted on the top of the box are three steel strings which can be tuned to various spooky notes." Also, the above photo should be credited to Sarah Gross.
Watch: "We Were Enchanted"
Roommate plays at the Bottom Lounge this Sunday, October 26, with the Judy Green, Jeff Harms and Rock Falls. Admission is $9 at the door. (That's $2.25 per artist.) The show begins at 8PM.