Label: Soundless Records

Release Date: November 2003

v/a - Say Nothing to No One
Matthew Ralph

From the folks responsible for Nate Ruth's out-of-nowhere impressive debut last year comes a compilation that is destined for the unclassifiable label in the genre category of your iTunes.

With nine tracks in all, including a new one from Ruth that is equally as impressive as anything on his full-length, there is a full compliment of noise, experimental, and electronic music contained, but plenty of melody and melancholy as well.

Jessica Bechtold opens with a heartbreaker, "At Least Pretend" that features her lush voice layered over a wash of background noise and brooding piano. Recorded with Nate Ruth, his influence is present but it's Bechtold's voice that truly steals the show. Acomputer follows with an enchanting piece of computer-driven music that moves, twists, spins, and turns, rarely finding itself in video game territory or the plague of any nut with a computer that thinks he's an artist.

Ruth's song "Heralded" has an upbeat tone to it with a strong melody carried throughout. To say it would be happy would be a bit off, but this song does succeed in a similar confusion meets construction, chaos is ordered manner that his previous songs have, but would ultimately work if it were merely a lullaby being sung to a child before sleep. Ruth also contributes to the Carolee song "I Heard You With Unmistakable Clarity," a heavy song set off beautifully with the touch of a female voice. Put on the headphones with this one and let the sound carry you away.

Jonathan Heathcote turns in an intriguing tune with an experimental edge that takes his lush vocal delivery and shakes it up into a carnival of sound and noise only possible with a clever approach to recording.

In fact, this statement would ring true for the entire recording. Compilations typically end up being lame and instantly throwaway, but this one works in a way that is a testimony to its creative vision. There are nine artists that share plenty of differences but ultimately shatter the perceptions of what truly creative music is about. That's not to say that everything is one-hundred percent original or anything, but given the repetition and derivation of so much material that is supposedly indie these days, this represents a victory.

posted 12.19.03

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Matt Ralph has bags full of bad CD's. Add to his collection at matt@tangzine.com

2002 White Elephant Productions