Self-releasing wizard builds beautiful framework
Parabstruse is a self-releasing wizard. He averages 80+ song plays per day via Myspace, and has already connected with approximately 2,830 users on the network. He relies on in-house production, self-promotion, and snail-mail distribution. He has something here, its no question, and now he’s reaching into his quiver to aim his debut independent CD at the hearts of post rock lovers abroad.
So who is this prodigy? Where did he come from? Parabstruse is “…Garry. I’m a Libra and a rabbit. Figure it out.” He is a man of few words, which has proven to work to his advantage in a genre that is filled with pretension. Parabstruse intelligently chooses to let the music to do most of the talking. His debut album, entitled Old Sentimental, is an instrumental onslaught of rock and ambient parallelism. It echoes the power and honesty of his Texan colleagues Explosions In The Sky. (Note: I hate to compare any post rock release to the main staples of the genre: Explosions, Mogwai, Godspeed etc…But this album actually DOES get there!) Parabstruse fills every sonic inch of this record. He is completely independent of any label, management, or group member, and now pilots a well-supported machine of uncompromising dedication and impeccable networking skill.
So what does this music actually sound like?
Well…The first few illusive seconds of Old Sentimental are very calming for the listener, offering up a faint guitar swell which is suddenly crashed into by a trudging groove of distorted guitars and loud rock rhythms. Loud. Quiet. Loud. Quiet. The remaining tracks typically continue to rely on the philosophy of the opening song, entitled Auburn Valley.
The album relies heavily on stark contrast between the well-produced assaults of mind-drifting rock, and the inverted introspection of soulful guitar play. The sequences are strong and are able to meet and even exceed post rock standards, however as the album progresses, I found myself asking more out of Parabstruse. (Which I guess is a mission accomplished for any artists’ debut) Unfortunately for me, Old Sentimental seems to become a little redundant over time, and leans too much on the philosophies of the aforementioned groups.
Overall, Parabstruse is a very interesting project, there’s no question about it. The framework is strong and beautiful, but I felt that it’s time for the artist to experiment with the traditional approach to instrumental rock writing and hopefully create something fresh in a genre that has been starting to fester.
| Reviewer: Justin Gray Added: April 11th 2008 |
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