FRAMES

This album is one I would cite when people say they know on the first play whether they love or hate an album, a sentiment I have always thought ludicrous. Definitely in the grower category it gets better with each spin. I notice lots of people mentioned Tool and Porcupine Tree when talking about this album but I'm surprised more people don't compare them to the first Kayo Dot as well. Much of this album has that ambient guitar spell occasionally broken by fits of noise. Less screams than Kayo but I'm speaking more to the instrumental vibe of the guitars. What really is unique for me about this release is the way it reverses the roles of the instruments. This album is literally *led* by the drummer Mark Heron! The drums are the lead instrument setting the path for the others.extremely busy, complex, conversational percussion throughout. Meanwhile, the guitar is more ambient and rhythmic and supporting, often laying down very similar sounding colorings while the percussion talks to you. Same with the vocals.rather a laid back Coldplay/Radiohead smoothness that creates textures. It's an interesting experience to be so locked in on the drums first and foremost but I can't help myself. So it's appropriate that they list Heron's name first in the CD booklet. Certainly there are moments when the others wrest away the focus with exceptional sections of overloaded space guitar and keyboards but the masterful drum work is never completely relocated to a background role. The music itself is very introspective feeling and haunting to me.I like to play this driving and it becomes a bit of a soundtrack in your mind allowing you to tune out the traffic madness and be somewhere else. On the nay side the long songs which tend to sound somewhat alike could be boring for people needing more obvious peaks and valleys. I also understand the reservations in songwriting expressed by both Russell and John though I am able to enjoy this anyway. I think it lacks the pure charm of PT, the maniacal mysteries of Kayo, but is more interesting than Tool and far more delightful than what I've heard from Thom Yorke Corporation in the last decade. While perhaps worthy of 4-5 stars in pure execution of their vision, on the emotional level it is just too one dimensional to get me there, too stuck in the same color. The CD booklet is a bit of a Spinal Tap moment-while sufficiently artsy they made the text in a color so close to the background color as to be nearly unreadable. Real hip, guys! But the music is good stuff. 6/10

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