3 out of 5

Label: VHF Records

Produced by: Vinnie Van Go-Go

You know me, my musical brethren: I prefer the noise.  Minimalism generally ain’t my bag.  When it comes to drone and the like, if you use the space to create tension, I diggety dig it, but if you’re just whispering and quietly strumming (or I’m not patient enough to hear the tension), I check out.

From Quagmire has always been an interesting project, both in general and as part of the VHF roster.  While definitely “outsider” music, it’s particularly less folky or fuzzy or psyche-y than most of the label’s output, and the intersection of delicately voiced but brusque confessionals over Rake-tweaked wandering guitar pluckings is notable and, perhaps in part thanks to Dorothy Geller’s atonal sing-song, instantly identifiable.

Moments on Habitats in the Wound percolate instantly: the building repetition of opener Ingrate; the half-dainty, half-bitter Holiday Song – but some of the longer tracks really make you work to understand their vibe.  Rake’s Vinnie Van Go-Go’s role as an enhancer (adding creaks and cymbal crashes and more) feels scaled back to a minimum on the disc, and without the constant presence of that layer, the stop/start nature of the guitar and singing makes immersiveness elusive.  As you allow for the tracks blunted edges, though, the downplayed extras become (increasingly so after each listen) these rather impactful anchors, peppered across the disc.  Tension that seemed lacking emerges; the perceived space between pluckings and moments shrinks.

The album still lacks some connective tissue: songs feel like they drift from one to another without much transition or resolution, and the listening learning curve is definitely a barrier to entry.  But From Quagmire concoct such an interesting combination that it’s undoubtedly worth the effort to find your peace with the disc.