3 out of 5

Label: Bifocal Media

Produced by: Des Ark, J Mascis, Zeno Gill (recorded by)

Quite a pedigree to these Des Ark albums, with J Mascis popping up here and Kurt Ballou on the followup ‘Rock the Boat’ album.  Speaking of which, apparently my dislike for that disc severely poop-tinted-glassed my memory of this album, which turns out to be pretty good most of the time, and downright grabbing at select moments.

The main thing I got wrong here – although I think I know why, specified further on – is that this is a pretty noisy album, wink wink J Mascis, who absolutely helps make Aimeé Argote’s compositions into more than the sum of their parts with tons of layers and a wonderful mashed up mix (mixing by Alex Kostelnik, the band, and Zeno Gill, admittedly, but the sound of the guitars would’ve obviously played in heavily there).  While bookended by some acoustic ditties, these sandwich six songs that are heavy on distortion and skronk and shriek.  And whether that was just where Argote’s head was at the time and whether it was Mascis’ influence, these elements are what are played up, pushing Aimee’s voice and words to a background layer.  As her voice isn’t all that distinctive, and the lyrics (may – since I can’t discern most of them on this disc) tread pretty standard water, this pays off: when the intensity kicks up a notch and she has to yell, the emotive power of the track really hits.

Unfortunately, we’re still hampered by a general lack of identity.  The 31Knots art-style and proggyness is there, especially on the named-like-a-31Knots-song Yes Sir, Yes Way, as is some of latter-day Shannon Wright directness, and then tidbits of other bands from the indie guitar-rock scene.  What Des Ark does achieve in its own “sound” gets lost in a wave of incredible repetitiveness, most songs following a burst of guitar / get really quiet / another burst of guitar structure with a rather similar ebb and flow to Argote’s playing style; this makes a lot of the tracks blend together – which is why I think it’s easy to forget what goes on on “Loose Lips” – with beginnings and endings of songs pretty much exactly that, just beginning and ending, so if you’re not constantly checking to see when the new track clicks over, it could be one long song.

But it’s promising.  There’s passion, and although I’m giving it the same-soundy critique, it’s committed with a valid intensity and skill that makes (made) it seem like time could shape the band into something more defined.  Alas, it seems like Argote would lean toward a more generic acoustic rock vibe, but that’s okay.  One less CD required to clutter up my collection.