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Quant
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Crossies Count [EP]
Crying Girl Records
Release: 5/05/2004
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Rated:
Review by:
Mark Middlemas
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When it's hard to describe what a band sounds like, you
know they're either not very good or they are wholly unique.
Without a doubt Quant falls into the latter category and
submits Crossies Count as prima facie
evidence. Crossies Count, the first album from
this Utah four piece, is a brilliant example of what indie-rock
should be, independent in its sound and sensibility. The
engineering cleverly ranges from faux-amateur recording to
expert manipulation of sound and space. The result is quite
amazing.
Crossies Count opens with "The Graham
Cracker Song," a roomy acoustic guitar piece that
reverberates like a boom box basement recording. Ambient
sounds, some strange and unidentifiable, crackle just out of
earshot. Breathy, pained vocals paint strange images. The
vocals are soulful in their exhaustion, and if any
comparisons could be made it would be to Radiohead circa
The Bends. Cleverly calculated, the sparseness
gives way to lush guitars, and solid drum and bass. This
formula for success is fully experimented with throughout
the album, yielding consistently interesting
performances.
There are no radio singles here. This is an indictment of the
current state of radio, not of Quant. Quant takes its time in
each song, masterfully building atmosphere and mood,
slowly expanding and exploring its own aural space. Quant
plays with form, avoiding verse, bridge, chorus, and opting
instead for an organic feel.
Most impressive is Quant's ability to create real tension. "The
Joke" is a prime example with its heartbreaking emptiness
that slowly fills up, quietly raging until admitting a last
second resolution. The moment will leave you breathless.
The same can be said for "The Crying Girl in a Very Small
Room" with its nail biting tension, pining vocals and
shimmering guitars. "More" brings the album full circle as its
"Street Spirit" style acoustics fade back into the boom box
basement recording.
Crossies Count is not all building action and
engineering tricks. Each song has head bob inducing
moments and unexpected dynamics that, while deliberate
and reserved, are genuinely stirring. If there is any
drawback here it is the repetition of the same formula, and
the overall aloofness of the lyrics and the vocals. Wisely,
Crossies Count is six tracks long, equaling
thirty-six minutes of solid material. Despite its resigned
mood of ennui and displacement, it never wears out its
welcome.
This is the moody music of gray skies over empty spaces.
This is the music of insomnia and wandering. It's clever and
challenging to both ear and mind. The rich and subtle
engineering rewards multiple listens as the album becomes
better and better with each spin. No fingers were crossed in
the making of this unique and meaningful album. |
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