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Airtight Garage
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Felangus Box/Coelacanth
Down Time Records
Release: 2004
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Rated:
Review by:
Andrew Glassett
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Airtight Garage likes to be clever with their words. Their name
comes from a lesser known comic book who's meaning is even
lesser known. The comic book is supposedly somewhere in
between postmodern space opera and absurdist playwriting. I
guess it might make sense because the band Airtight Garage is
also in the somewhere in between garage-folk rock and
absurdism. Take for example, the name of their fourth
full-length album, Felangus Box. Is that a kind of
fungus? Is it referring to something sexual in nature? What
about the second disc, Coelacanth? I am soon to
find out Airtight Garage is less concerned about what their
name means to them and are more concerned about being
strange and interesting.
Felangus Box is a collection of songs produced
very lo-fi and with a lot of distorted, delayed vocals
accompanied by cleverly plucked guitar. The most interesting
thing on this album is the considerable amount of background
noises that are texturized into the songs. Sometimes they
sound almost psychedelic; the album was allegedly recorded in
an old slaughterhouse, which makes for interesting imagery
considering the crazy lyrics and ironic vocal delivery.
Coelacanth is a bonus disc with six songs of a
more narrative nature. There are a lot more synths and quiet
parts that help to back the ongoing story line of human
communication successes and failures. There is a lot less
distortion on the voice, and the result is a more relaxing
adventure than on Felangus Box.
Overall, the songs are solid and complement one another very
nicely. There are no hits, but that is not what Airtight Garage is
interested in. They produce music that is amusing and
interesting, bordering on madness and humor. The music is
pure and uninhibited. The only filters they use are the ones
they put on themselves; they may be making up words, but in
the end that leads to a new way of looking at life and because
of that they are making music that pushes a lot of musical
boundaries. |
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