The most recent Kites performance I had the pleasure to take in was the most aggressive yet. And while Christopher Forgues’ live sets are usually rife with a palpable tension, often exhibited physically by Forgues, this night in a basement took the proverbial cake. The set ended with various components of the DIY Kites arsenal functioning incorrectly or not at all, a disheveled and exhausted Forgues amid the strewn heap of beer-drenched gear. At such a time, it’s easy to forget that there’s a gentler side to Kites’ music, a folkier aspect that only fully reaches fruition on his recorded output. Peace Trials, Forgues’ latest, serves up both sides of the Kites approach, finding a pleasant middle ground between more traditional songwriting and uncompromising noise.
As the title of the disc implies, Peace Trials harbors a healthy helping of dissent, something that’s always been a part of Forgues’ socio-politically aware work. This disc is more demonstrative than his last, however, starting with tracks entitled “Flag Torn Apart” and “Something About America.” The searing opener marries some of Forgues’ best-realized noise to date with harsh, effected vocals in a hair-raising seven-minute eruption. But, quickly, “Something About America” brings the first instance of the type of transition that become Peace Trials most obvious strength. The track, which begins with reversed guitar before giving way to gentler strumming and singing, contrasts “Flag Torn Apart” in sonic intensity, though there’s no lack of forthright lyrical content in the song. Forgues’ songwriting doesn’t always have a folky tilt, perhaps the best track on the disc is the brief “Dirt,” a song that can easily imbed itself on the brain with the most unflappably (and, perhaps, annoying) memorable pop songs. Forgues will likely always be regarded as a noisemaker first and songwriter second, but Peace Trials proves that he’s at his best when dutifully engaged in each.
