新鮮在pitchfolk看到的樂評:
Six by Seven
The Closer You Get
[Mantra/Beggars Banquet]
Rating: 7.2
There's a thin line between riveting
and boring. Generally speaking, the
boredom factor increases
proportionately as a song lengthens.
There are some notable exceptions to this rule, but it's only
the truly gifted band that can pull off an epic without
sounding presumptuous or sedated. As Six by Seven
proved on their last outing, the somnolent The Things We
Make, they're definitely not one of those bands.
Wisely, on The Closer You Get, Six by Seven shun any
epic aspirations, opting instead to streamline their sound.
Gone are the interminable, lazy guitar noodling of
"European Me." Petals are pressed to the floor. Guitars
mimic helicopters. Drums resemble a bumpy subway ride.
And frontman Chris Olley sounds positively rabid beneath
the raging volume. No longer finding solace in drawn-out
detachment, Six by Seven are now focused and agitated.
The results are immediate, and, at the very least, demand
to be heard.
From the explosive opening monolith, "Eat Junk Become
Junk," Six by Seven bristle with an intensity that would have
been unthinkable on their previous LP. "Sawn Off Metallica
T-shirt" mines a cutthroat fearlessness, the chainsaw
guitars and thumping bassline threatening to erupt at any
moment. Even when the lyrics disappear altogether or
become indecipherable under the layers of noise, as on
"Another Love Song," the band exudes an unmistakable
menace.
This newfound attitude doesn't always serve them well,
though. The melodic aspirations of "Don't Wanna Stop"
and "Slab Square" are swept away in a tuneless, guitar
maelstrom-- surprising when considering they're two of only
four tracks on The Closer We Get produced by the
untouchable John Leckie. Strangely, other tracks simply fail
to reach their potential for lack of production. Relying on
light guitar plucking and a touch of feedback, "England and
a Broken Radio" is so slight it leaves you wishing Six by
Seven had parked their social commentary at the door.
All told, The Closer You Get, winds up with more bluster
than substance. These guys have the roar, now they just
need to temper the assault and give the melodies some
breathing room. Too often they allow the noise to
compensate for underdeveloped material. However, given
their rapid progress and attitude change, this misstep is
both understandable and forgivable. For the time being,
their remarkable stylistic transition is enough for us to keep
listening.
-Beatty & Garrett
--
The story is a sad one, told many times.
The story of my life in trying times.
Just add water, stir in lime.
How the west was won and where it got us.
R.E.M.
--
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