AMUTE – infernal heights for a
drama
(CD – still)
Since the last time I have
heard about Amute – which was in 2006 when the wonderful “sea horse limbo”
had been released on intr_version – a lot has changed in the world of
Jerome Deuson. Most of all, his hence solo-project Amute has turned into a
full fledged band, able to fill the ever evolving and introspective visions
fo Deuson with ferve and live. This has resulted most effectively in a
broader, fuller and bigger sound. There are tight riffs and arrangements
that are dense and encompassing. It is way closer to rock than to their
roots of indietronica, or whatever that kind of introspective songwriting on
a computer was called back then. Actually, in some parts it is quite close
to the kind of emotional folksinging that Connor Oberst so perfectly
perfected.
Which already hints to the
diversity of the songs on this wonderful collection of popmusic, a range of
emotions that goes from wild passion to lonesome melancholy. There is even a
lonely trombone here and there and some twang guitar. Don’t worry, the
computer still provides his tweeps and bleeps from time to time or fills
niches with little hums, buzzes and noises, but the main core of the
arrangement is way more basic and down to earth than ever before. The slowly
winding and ever so lonely “Begone” is a perfect example. It trots along
in a rhythm that carries the heartache in its steps, until finally a guitar
schooled on various solos by Canada’s
biggest guitar playing son steps in to blow out the melancholy
and despair with a few kilowatts of amplification. An analogue thing is true
for “No other man”.
All in all “infernal heights
for a drama” is a very modern record that traces its roots back to
centuries of music. It is all paying tribute to Deuson’s evolution as a
songwrite and musicfan. For instance when they contradict various parts
structurally, like grabbing deeply into the electronica soundscape
repertoire of some years ago and then introducing a rolling bass-line over
which they do some chorus singing, as somewhere towards the end of
“enclosed movements / inner you”, then you can either count the sources
on your fingers of lean back wherever you are start listening closely to
each nuance and each little bitpart of the mix. The band will soon be back
into pop music mode. And then add a mutated surf guitar to play the next
solo.
It is also nice to see some
half-forgotten names (my fault!) on the list of contributers, especially
Mitchell Akiyama, who plays some reworked piano on “when things are not
going right” and whose “if night is a weed…” album still makes for
some nice late night listening after all these years. With Bryce Kushnier
from Vitaminsforyou
there is another contributor from the old intr_version connection on here,
but who is probably better known for his work with Do Make Say Think (on
constellation records.) It is some kind of the old Canada connection at work
here.
