Pedal Steel Transmission - The Angel of the Squared Circle
(Cardboard Sangria)
This Chicago quartet's third release opens with the loungy, Hawaiian cha-cha of "Waiting," and after about nine minutes you start to realize this is not just another cheeky lounge cash-in album. There's some serious shit going on here. After a 45-second palate cleanser-cum-electronic filler, "Amy" sashays into the room like Dire Straits wielding that eponymous pedal steel. Unfortunately, "It's Only A Day 'til My Bed Is Warm" is ALL segue of backward electronics and no song, but "Breakin' Windows Everywhere" sets things right with a sleepy, drawling observation of life as seen through heavy eyelids - call it "stoner country."
"In Mourning" is built around a pretty piano melody, but the noisy background effects relegate it to the interlude-y filler bin and we're left with a beautiful instrumental passage waiting for a song that never arrives. However, I really like the jazzy, surf instro intro to "Editene," but the dissonant, lyrical second half of the song is eminently forgettable and truly does need some "EditING" [sic]. Which, like the Bedroom Walls reviewed elsewhere this issue, is the major problem with this release. There are many great ideas and beautiful passages here, they just need to be tightened up to lose all the filler and maybe next time Pedal Steel Transmission will have a real winner on their hands. As it stands, there are about 4 or 5 great tracks, but a half dozen others are in search of the skip button.
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