Cerberus Shoal - Bastion of Itchy Preeves
(North East Indie)
Having blazed a spectacular path through indie rock's fringes for close to a decade now, Cerberus Shoal have steered headlong against the grain, forging new sounds and opening minds to new music. The problem being, once the momentum they helped create has built up enough that they would be receive their due, they've usually moved on to something else equally challenging. And, being the truly rare band that they are, they've always managed to incorporate these new changes into exciting and enjoyable directions.
Case in point, after their spectacular (especially way back in 1996!) album
And Farewell to Hightide, they were among the first to contribute to the late 90s post-rock explosion. But, far from being the breed of post-rock as was heard in bars all over Chicago for years, Cerberus Shoal's shamanistic, hippie-tinged post-rock feels just as revelatory today as it did when I first heard it played live in a punk record store in 1997. Fast forward two years, and Cerberus Shoal find themselves with a record out on the hottest post-rock label (forgive the generalization) this side of Thrill Jockey, Temporary Residence, Ltd. However, they'd moved on. Way on. Homb has elements of Appalachian folk, drone, weird woodsmen chants and all around a far less accessible sound. But, again, it was revelatory and they sounded like they'd been doing it for years.
So, fast forward again another 5 years. They've steered themselves deeper into the avant-garde, embracing a broad swath of 'out' music. They haven't yet taken another completely different approach like they did after And Farewell to Hightide, but they certainly haven't been rewriting themselves over and over. Their current, and seemingly primary, frame of reference? Sun City Girls. Hints at old Eastern European folk, bizarre, drunkenly obtuse circus ballads, drones, prog, and chaotic noise all rear their heads.
The chorus of (presumably) all 6 current members' voices figures heavily into the songs on Bastion of Itchy Preeves. It opens with a droning, ebow-led "Grandsire." The instruments are used liberally, with what sounds like a basement-full of old instruments (some, maybe broken) used throughout the album. Rhythm plays a big role, though not in a bludgeoning way. More like an unswerving undercurrent that gives each bizarre melody some solid ground to swing from. The first half of a two song suite, "Me and My Dead Head: Baby Gal" is a 5 minute escalation of tension while the band repeats the same stirring two chord progression and chants "Have you seen my baby gal?/Do you know how much I feel?/I'm afraid she's in the well/breathing up an awful smell/Have you seen my tiny dog?/Do you know how far he's gone?/I'm afraid he's in the well/Offering up an awful smell." Lyrically morbid, musically off kilter, but in listening to this, I get a real sense that I'm hearing a band truly push themselves, and it sounds so good!
This album will not be for everybody. It is seriously damaged and very weird. See The Residents, Sun City Girls, etc. However, despite the changes in lineup, and the progression of their sound, this is undoubtedly the culmination of everything they've done post-And Farewell to Hightide. It's amazing to me that nearly 10 years later I'm still saying that the new Cerberus Shoal may be the best I've heard in months.
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