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Back in 2002, I somehow stumbled upon an album so insane, so
sexy, and so punk rock, it just about converted me into a leather-clad
hooker. This earth-shattering album was They Raging. Quiet
Army, the debut LP from the Detachment Kit, an album
that they recorded in one day. Now they're back with Of This
Blood, and this time, they took their time in the studio-two
weeks. And if you heard what they did with one day, you can only
imagine what they've been able to accomplish with fourteen.
Whereas They Raging. Quiet Army was a diamond in the rough,
Of This Blood has been polished and cut, and the sound,
like light, has been refracted into many and varied hues of mood
and style. From the tender intro, "Night of My Death",
to the feral shriek of "Genivive the Countess" and everything
in-between, this new album is a virtual kaleidoscope. Personal
favorites include the swooping grandeur of "Skyscrapers",
the Pixies-esque "Ted the Electric", the adorably off-key
"Pill Cake", and the disco waltz rhythms of "This
Music's For Strobelights". But the beauty of this album is
that if you gave it to ten different people, they'd have ten different
favorite tracks; there's literally something here for everyone.
As a perfect example of what I'm talking about, I'd like to include
a piece of a conversation my friend and I had while listening
to this album in her car:
("Night of My Death" plays)
Friend: "Oh, this is pretty! I like this! Who is this
band?"
Me: "Detachment Kit."
("Skyscrapers" plays)
Friend: "Wow, this is kind of loud. Who was that?
(skips track)"
Me: "Detachment Kit."
("Ted the Electric" plays)
Friend: "Ha! Did he just say 'chi-chi-chi-chi-chow'?
Hahaha! Hey, is this the Pixies?"
Me: "Nope, still Detachment Kit."
("Ricochet" plays)
Friend: "How pretty! This isn't Detachment Kit, too,
is it?"
Me: "Yup."
Aside from my friend's alarming inability to recognize a continuing
theme when she hears one, the point here is that this album excludes
no one, even those who are typically afraid of "loud"
music. And while lead singer Ian Menard describes their
music as "developmentally challenged," it is anything
but that. Each song is a complete and beautifully articulated
thought - be it one of triumph, hope, anger, absurdity, or humor
- and is occasionally tastefully accented by guest instrumentalists
or vocalists. As a result, the album is both balanced and buoyant,
without losing its bite. This is, after all, the Detachment Kit
we're talking about.
Oh, and just in case you were thinking about burning the disc
from a friend, or downloading it off the internet, you might
want to re-think that decision. Let's just say that the band
has a little surprise up its CD sleeves for those faithful who
pay for the real thing.
- Emily Strong
Track Listing:
1. Night Of My Death
2. Skyscrapers
3. Ted the Electric
4. Ricochet
5. Chronology
6. Pill Cake
7. Vanish or Vanquish
8. The Race
9. When You Need…
10. Music For Strobelights
11. Roots Rock
12. Genivive the Countess
13. Ice Queen
14. Spider
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