coming January 12
Gerycz Powers Rolin - 'Activator' (12XU 152-1)
preorder at 12XU.bigcartel.com or 12XUrecs.bandcamp.com
'Activator' is the third installment from the trio of Jayson Gerycz, Jen Powers and Matthew Rolin, who respectively need no introduction writ-large. For anyone observing the American underground in the last decade, whether live, on tour or across various listening formats, these names are attached to the crucial goings-on propelling the Rust Belt and beyond.
Here we find the trio expand their collaborative vernacular across two sides of vinyl starting with the steady strumming of "Entrance", a paradox of pensive riffing and anxious percussion where Gerycz and Powers meld into a nebulous cluster of shapeshifting staccato and phantom rhythms. Tracks like "Sun Rays" and "Ivory" walk a tightrope between structured songcraft with chord patterns and concise riffs held together by steady cadence, ranging from hand bells to the bombastic, full-kit eruptions Gerycz has perfected over many years. As each piece ascends and unfurls, Powers provides a gentle tessellating from her dulcimer, with each strike landing like raindrops upon shallow puddles. The title track "Activator" displays the full range and might of the trio, highlighting and merging the many facets and abilities each individual brings to the table, forming the singular identity that has made the project so beloved. Starting with slow dulcimer swells, watery bells, and mellow, motorik electric guitar, the track slowly tangles up its own elements and tumbles itself with grace and patient beauty while ascending to an ecstatic explosion of distortion and thunderous drumming before dissolving into an iridescent singing bowl meditation.
'Activator' leaves it all on the table, displaying a perpetual metamorphosis of different modes from improv to song structure, a display of seemingly endless possibilities executed with a nimble prowess that comes from time spent in close collaboration. Over 40+ minutes of transcendent music the trio employs these multitudes of music making approaches while remaining cohesive and articulate, beautiful and mysterious - a rare talent for the artists and a gift for the listener.
Indie rock industrial complex makes most of their bands sound the same. I agree, this might be my subjective view on things, though let us listen to the latest works by the groups I mentioned in here. Yes, they sort of blend into one another, while their early platters give us a glimpse into a more interesting scene. Mind you, I'm not suggesting that might be a plan for all of them, though something occurs to the bands, such as Cloud Nothings. The latter continue to do many interesting things as one can notice, but a certain standardization occurs to many of these outfits, including Cloud Nothings, though they have weathered that well. However, an important question remains – how much of what happens to these musicians is self-inflicted?
On Lamplighter, the trio of Cloud Nothings drummer Jayson Gerycz, hammered dulcimer player Jen Powers, and guitarist Matthew J. Rolin come together to whip up a storm of mostly improvised jams that roil with joyful abandon. The timbre of Rolin’s 12-string guitar is more metallic than woody, its arpeggiated figures forming bright lattices of tone, within which Powers’ dulcimer weaves droning pulses. The top end is accentuated by Gerycz’s cymbals, while the low end is filled out by tumbling tom-toms. The five tracks range from barely three minutes (“June”) right up to nearly 15 (“Jars of Glass”), with each piece offering up plenty of lively playing.
On eight-minute opener “Rotations,” each of the players stretch simple gestures into a mutual flex of sound that’s chaotic and cathartic. Gerycz locks into a rolling, rapid-fire beat, above which Powers and Rolin bustle and thrum. The piece burns out in a wash of cymbals, Rolin eventually landing on a nice little bass run. When “Blink” unfurls in a further flurry of sustained tones and cymbals, the music threatens to begin feeling a little one-note, but then Rolin spices up the mix with some discordant, pitch-bent passing chords, and Gerycz’s tom rolls become truly ferocious. Consider the cobwebs truly blown away by this point.
Thankfully the title track offers a nice change of pace. Rolin picks out a slow, tentative figure, Gerycz bows his cymbals, and Powers’ dulcimer begins to bubble up in the mix. During the second half, Gerycz switches to rattling percussion and Rolin picks through his changes more stridently. “June” is a perfectly formed little ditty, marred slightly by Gerycz starting up his shuffling beat a fraction behind the others, knocking the listener off balance. But once it’s up and running, the way the dulcimer and guitar sing out in unison is emphatic and beautiful.
On 15-minute finale, “Jars of Glass,” Rolin steadfastly maps out the piece’s harmonic terrain during the opening minutes as Powers’ dulcimer shimmers and Gerycz’s drums settle into a low boil. A third of the way in, Rolin picks up the pace, prompting Gercyz to unleash some rapid-fire volleys on the toms, then the piece begins to simmer down. At around the halfway mark, the guitar slowly begins to sketch out a fresh direction, accompanied by screaming bowed cymbals and some lovely piano-like dulcimer tones. As the second half progresses, looming swells of feedback make the song feel like it’s going to collapse in on itself. Then, in the album’s closing minutes, the guitar returns renewed, like the theme to a spaghetti western, and the whole piece explodes in a crescendo of distortion and rapid-fire drum hits.
