Arco Flute Foundation - Everything After the Bomb is Sci-Fi
(Cenotaph)
Arco Flute Foundation is a band that was formed when Mike and Pete (of
Meisha) went off to college and met some new people to play music with. Their music is more visceral than Meisha's, but uses many of the same ideas, adding some "rock" to Meisha's well crafted sound. Over the last few years, Arco Flute Foundation have cranked out three albums, establishing themselves as more than a side project, and something to be taken seriously.
Everything After the Bomb is Sci-Fi starts off with "The Myth that Became Jimmy Palm," a mission statement of sorts of what The Arco Flute Foundation do. Starting with a post-rock(er) phrase with a great melody, it eventually crumbles away to a soft clatter of noise. They delve deeper into that side of things on the third track, "The
Mean Egyptian" by treating bells and layering noise. Some post-recording tricks may be used at some point, or they may have started using a laptop. It feels so natural and flowing that I can't quite figure out what they did. The heavy opening to "Lizard Christ" only hints at the cathartic maelstrom it becomes a couple minutes in, where it gives way to lush drone for the final track, "Seymour Uncle Billy." While the guitars drone away, the drums haphazardly tap and pound intermittently until locking into a strange and really great beat. Just before it becomes a focused beat, an overdub of drums being played on fast-forward comes into the left channel. I don't know why it strikes me as so great, but I love that part.
A strong and beautiful record, Everything After the Bomb is Sci-Fi bridges the gap between Tarentel and Sonic Youth's noisy early skronk. This album so easily delivers songs that I only wish bands like Mogwai and Windsor for the Derby had the ambition to tackle.
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