11:11

11:11 is the long-awaited follow-up to 2009's The Gigsaw, which is an album I had a great deal of affection for. So when I listened to 11:11 and was rather underwhelmed, I wondered if it were just because my tastes have changed over the intervening years. It had been quite a while since I'd last listened to The Gigsaw, so I put that on to see if it was still as good as I remembered - and it was. It's not that 11:11 is a bad album. It simply doesn't measure up to the far more impressive debut. Of the founding members of Sub Rosa, only Reinaldo Jose was still a member of the band when The Gigsaw was recorded, and only he and Barbara Laranjeira remain from that album for 11:11. And perhaps this is why the album doesn't quite hit the heights of its predecessor. There's certainly nothing wrong with the rhythm section of Jose and Laranjeira, but the keys and guitar don't pull the punch they need to.

Sub Rosa has always been interested in the occult, and the references to it are all over their debut and this new album. In fact, the 22 tracks of 11:11 are matched to the 22 cards of the Major Arcana in a Tarot deck Sub Rosa have designed to accompany the album. But where The Gigsaw had a dark and edgy feel to the keys and guitar, much of 11:11 simply sounds bland and banal. Where The Gigsaw sounded ancient, 11:11 simply sounds retro. What's worst though, for me, is the production. It's just so muddy and muffled, and doesn't allow any of the music to breathe. I fear that perhaps Sub Rosa have paid too much attention to the detail and aesthetics of their Tarot deck than to their music. The Gigsaw is full of details that are only revealed after subsequent listens, so that it is indeed like a jigsaw, as each new piece is found.

The other problem I have is how the album jumps in style from track to track. Presumably this is deliberate, to portray the different aspects of the different cards of the Major Arcana, but it doesn't flow very well to my ears. The Gigsaw was also eclectic in its sounds, but sounded far how cohesive, and the movements between styles was fluid and organic. The differing sounds locked into place to elucidate the greater picture that The Gigsaw ultimately revealed. The sometimes jarring changes between songs work to their detriment. And it's a shame, because some of the songs are really good. I can't help but think that as grand as the concept is, Sub Rosa don't quite pull it off. The album suffers by becoming over-long, and having too many songs that just aren't up to the standard I expect from the band. It pains me to say it, but I probably won't be playing this often. I'll stick to The Gigsaw, which I know and love.

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