At the edge of
an impossibly calm reservoir, face down among broken glass and
apocalyptic debris, you have no identification... no recollection of
how you ended up here. Barely mobile and completely taxed, you rise,
fearing what is to be found and not found. Did you initiate this
catastrophe or are you a reluctant survivor left in place to rebuild
what's left? This duality is the thematic arc of
I Am Your Bastard Wings,
the dramatic full length debut from Boston-based sextet EKSI EKSO
(pronounced 'ex-ee ex-o'). Forged with a sense of triumph and hope when
everything else has been eradicated, the album pendulates over the fine
balance between creation and annihilation: at one second breathy, calm,
and sparse; followed immediately by snaking melodies, unrelenting
density and climactic cacophony.
The latest brainchild from the
creative forces behind THE BURNING PARIS and ON FIRE, EKSI EKSO is
poised for meteoric propulsion via their convergence of atypical rock
instrumentation, experimentation with form, and the breath of
collaborative writing via six musicians coming from very different
schools. Nate Shumaker (vocals/guitar), Tom Korkidis
(vocals/bass/keys/samples), Sean Will (flugelhorn/trumpet/keys/samples),
Clara Kebabian(violin/oboe/vocals), Beth Holub (viola), and Alex Mihm
(drums/percussion) compose songs that play out like soundtracks to
found footage reels.
I Am Your Bastard Wings
utilizes three different vocalists who sometimes sing together,
sometimes separately, sometimes not at all; a chamber section (violin,
viola, and flugelhorn/trumpet) which also separates into lead
instruments that soar as much as any lead guitar; an underbelly of live
loops and prerecorded samples; blocks of grand piano and dual analog
keys/synths; arpeggiated guitars soaked in reverb; and a rock rhythm
section that teeters between a back-beat pocket and an unshakeable
teenage urge to visit the extremes of tolerable dynamics.
It's
far too easy to categorize EKSI EKSO with sub-genre titles that have
now been flogged to death: post-rock, chamber rock, art rock,
shoegazer... essentially EKSI EKSO is still a rock band that owes just
as much to Black Sabbath than it does to Ravel, just as much to Charles
Mingus than it does to the Cure, and just as much to CAN as it does to
Talk Talk.
I AM YOUR BASTARD WINGS
was produced by EKSI EKSO and mixed/co-produced by Grammy Award Winning
producer/engineer Malcolm Burn (Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris, Peter
Gabriel).
Press"this
sextet loves the emotional epic and favors a moody, engulfing sound...
these sophisticated arrangements also include violin, viola, piano,
synthesizer, oboe, trumpet, and flugelhorn."
- THE BOSTON GLOBE"Seamless. Subtle. Soaring. Atmospheric. Sophisticated... a major statement, filled with endless promise and musical grace."
- THE NOISE"the
sublime duo of "Killing Texas" and "The Choir Will Always Sing" both
sport a well-developed sense of orchestration and release... they've
hit upon a personality of their own and matched it with an ambitious
and admirably bullshit-free sense of instrumentation... imagine if
Explosions in the Sky had actually been Bark Psychosis"
-
THE SILENT BALLET
"Eksi
Ekso has caught my eye in delivering one of the most striking albums of
the year... the sheer rush of clashing emotions conveyed is one of
remarkable awe...I Am Your Bastard Wings serves as an extremely
impressive post-rock release."
-
OBSCURE SOUND"Melancholic
yet warm and sunny song-oriented Post-Rock, devoid of most cliches you
heard from other numerous bands of the genre. Dynamic and melodic, with
magnificent violin solos, masterful vocals and dreamy atmosphere, 'I Am
Your Bastard Wings' is a welcome gift."
- PROG ARCHIVES
I Am Your Bastard WingsTrack Listing
01. The Wintering (0:24)
02. O' God, They've Frozen (6:05)
03. Killing Texas (4:23)
04. The Choir Will Always Sing (4:41)
05. Albatross (8:01)
06. I Though You Died Last Time (4:18)
07. Nitnb (1:37)
08. Mavri (5:31)
09. The Gallows (5:34)
10. Just Leave (5:05)
11. (Spouse Of) The Blind Hunter (1:53)
12. Russian Excuse (5:12)