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I like to think of things like this in as simple of terms as possible…
sometimes even mathematical terms. So dig: Blur - old disco
+ The Clash + new disco (Franz Ferdinand) + The Fall
x (Throbbing Gristle) Duran Duran + Joy Division
- New Order = The Nein. Fairly straightforward…
Or is it? Wrath Of Circuits is most easily summed up by saying
that if Blur had continued to rock, rather than turning their feet
to dance to the disco groove, then they may have ended up making something
more akin to this. Take out all the flash and pomp, and rather fall
back on some odd keyboards and garagey production, and you end up
with music that is much more memorable and listenable than "Boys
who are boys who dig girls like they're girls who dig girls like they're
boys, etc…" Thick sonic washes create the palette of The
Nein. Coarse drumming, primal and heavy, creates the backdrop for
the activity of the inhabitants, ably represented by guitars, bass,
and synths. Vocals are mixed up high, giving the album an almost pop
feel at times, even though there is nothing pop about the lyrics.
This music is somewhat dark, and always moody… music much more
suited to long strung-out binges of drug use than sunny walks on summer
days. Starting off friendly enough, "Faint Sounds" is a
nice introduction to what you may believe to be your new favorite
odd-rock band. But then songs like "Courtesy Bows To New Wave"
come along and create moments that are sometimes challenging to listen
to, with their discordant guitar parts and anti-rhythmic drumming.
The album grows into a monster of cocaphony on tracks like "The
Vibe", but then introduce Luna-esque guitars and smoothness
to bring back a peaceful feeling on "Conjugated Reverb".
To say that sitting and listening to Wrath Of Circuits is
something of an exercise in musical perception and tolerance would
be very accurate, but not entirely to the point. This is clever music,
sometimes creating sonic textures that are challenging, but if you
keep on listening, you are sure to be rewarded in the long run.
-L. Keane
Track Listing:
1. Faint Sounds
2. Foreign Friendster
3. Courtesy Bows To New Wave
4. The Vibe
5. Conjugated Reverb
6. Heatseekr
7. Crawl Red Grow Slow
8. Jim Morrison In Desert
9. Wrath Of Circuits
10. Bleeding Elvis
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