|
|
|
There's a tradition of prickly, tough-rocking bands led by duos of women—Throwing Muses, Scrawl, Tsunami, and Sleater-Kinney among them—and this version of San Francisco's Tartufi is a worthy addition to that lineage. On this release Simone Grudzen and Lynne Angel both handle guitar and bass duties and harmonize together in powerful altos that complement each other well. They lead each of these 4 songs through multiple changes in tempo and dynamics; it's not quite math rock, but it does have some of that genre's structural complexities. The songs are occasionally galvanizing, and the high level of energy and commitment the band displays never flags throughout the disc.
Unfortunately there is one slight issue, which is that there seems to be a bit of a skill imbalance in the band. There's nothing wrong with this in and of itself, and I don't fault the band for it, but the discrepancy stands out and is a bit distracting. On one hand, the rhythm section is an absolute powerhouse. Drummer Brian Gorman is a kit-pounding disciple of the Pixies' David Lovering, and whoever is on bass most of the time is laying down some complex and rock-solid lines. In contrast, some of the guitar leads are relatively simplistic and tentatively played. Each of the women must be handling multiple parts on these recordings, since there are often more parts going on than members of the band (not even counting ancillary instrumentation like piano, xylophone, or Moog), so it's kind of odd that just one weak aspect would stand out like that. Grundzen has since left the band to direct a film, and Angel and Gorman are recording a new album as a duo, so we'll see if that levels things out. An album as good as the best parts of this EP would be a force to reckon with. (mike.06.06)
rating
related links