4 out of 5

Label: Southern

Producer: Brian Deck

Still a little too on the tame side of slo-core for my tastes, Rex’s ‘C’ is probably one of the most well-rounded examples of the genre and certainly the band’s best, taking the explosive elements from their debut and adding a bit more of an upbeat, also looking forward to the heavier folk-infusion of the following ‘3’ album.  The range of flavors makes Deck’s amazing studio work that much more apparent, his ability to balance many elements without any one overwhelming the other giving the disc more definition than it may deserve, if Curtis Harvey’s drab lyrics were any indication.

There are a couple of perfect songs on the disc that encompass everything one could want from this genre.  Wisely, one such track is the opener – ‘Morning’ – which works through some drone-style phrases about a setting sun to work us through some delightful guitar / bass strumming interplay and tapping drums before the track bursts gorgeously open with some ripping distortion, before it boils back down to its core riff.  Even at seven minutes the track is crisp, stringing us along at perfectly timed intervals for the payoffs.  Deck’s skills are already forefront – Harvey’s plaintive voice is always insistent and heard, and we still get the full effect of every instrument even when the fuzz is allowed to bleed out.  The next track isn’t as successful in its blending of styles, but ‘Ride Home’ has some unexpectedly harsh breakdowns that are a nice kick before the 10-minute ‘New Son’ begins.  And frankly, if those three tracks had been EP’d, ‘C’ could’ve been perfect.  ‘Son’ layers in various elements, completing an initial triptych of songs as the more acoustic entry, and not to wax on regarding the production, but the way the skins are allowed to rattle quietly off in the distance is pitched so perfectly against the general reverb of the song – an amazing amount of range is discovered, even if the band doesn’t seem to shift the pieces around all that much.

The rest of ‘C’ wanders a bit, not getting back to a really striking formula until the title tracks repeats the opening tracks moody-riff-to-bombast maneuver with much success, but there’s more variation from song to song than I felt on ‘3’, meaning that if your ears appreciate the pleasantries more than mine, there’s a lot to enjoy around the songs mentioned.  The best example of the make-or-break Rex style can be heard on the instrumental ‘Audrey La’mort’ – which has this wonderfully downbeat bass hook to bring us in… before an oddly positive guitar slingshots atop.  Early Day Miners stick to the depressive gutter for the slo-core, which I’m down with.  Rex chose to cast some light on the gloom.  ‘C’ is the blissful result of crossing over from the mopey self-titled disc to the… hrm… NPR friendly ‘3’.’  It’s patient, and maybe a little too harmless for some of us, but chock full of original composition ideas well executed and showcased by some excellent mixing.