Windsor For The Derby
Difference And Repetition
»
Windsor For The Derby
Difference And Repetition
Young God, 1999
RiYL: Gastr Del Sol, Analogue, South, Aerial M, Ativin |
Even with more voices floating in the air, WFTD break no molds here, planting both feet firmly amid the territory currently staked out by newer "post-rock" acts like Tristeza or South. In fact, Difference bears strong parallels to South's self-titled album, both in the clean, intertwined guitar parts and an allegiance to minimalist composers like Eno, Reich and Herzog.
Nevertheless, Difference puts the WFTD spin on these familiar influences, revisiting the kind of internal soundtrack that made Minnie Greutzfeldt so ideal for contemplation. Electronics are more readibly apparent, particularly on the synth-addled, almost Pink Floyd-esque "**." "Shaker" imagines Steve Reich and Stars Of The Lid composing underwater, while the solemn mellotron melodies of "Nico" abandon modern precedents for a sound right out of the Middle Ages. "Shoes McCoat" takes the minimalist ideals as far as WTFD ever has, as two guitar parts slowly move in and out of sync with one another over the course of 13 minutes.
Fans of the band's more straightforward guitar/bass/drums compositions will revel in opening track "*" and the gentle motions of "The Egg," two fine uses of simple but pretty melodies and minimal rhythms. An early Pink Floyd vibe (perhaps side two of Umma Gumma) is revisited on closer "Lost In Cycles," as a far-off voice adorns a crystalline acoustic guitar melody.
With seven songs and only thirty-five minutes of music, Difference is not the grand follow-up to Minnie Greutzfeldt for which some might have been hoping. But with a number of future releases in the works (including a compilation of singles and odds and ends), it's a musical diversion well worth exploring.
JONATHAN COHEN | Jonathan Cohen co-created Nude As The News with his Indiana University mates Troy Carpenter and Ben French. When not traversing the globe for business and pleasure, he holds down the fort as a senior editor for Billboard in New York. Stop him and he just may ask, "what for lunch?"