A Span Is All That We Can Boast

Parliament Owls

This one is gonna be a little personal because I consider this band to be good friends of mine. Our bands did a small run of shows in Canada's lovely east coast and I was incredibly fortunate to see them play night after night. I'm not gonna lie, I don't consider myself much of a musician and hanging out with these incredibly talented individuals gave me a bit of impostor syndrome. This album that I'm sharing with you, didn't officially come out until after that tour, but at some point during the 18 hour drive to our first show we popped in their freshly manufactured CD and as a collective we just sat in stunned silence. Stylistically, it was pretty much everything I enjoyed in music. It was filled with spontaneity, angular riffs, and odd metered grooves that rivalled some of the best math and progressive rock records I've heard up until that point. The record had a triumphant, uplifting, and life-affirming tone, but wasn't afraid to go into crushingly heavy territory to stir up some conflict and keep you on your toes.

I can't recommend this record enough but if you want to wade yourself in, I'll point out a few instances of why this record is so great. In the Marrow is perhaps my favourite track on the record. This track has so many interesting rhythms in the drums and guitar strum patterns. The production on this track caters to that greatly as one of the guitars is boosted significantly in the treble range to give it this scratchy kind of tone, making it sound surprisingly percussive. There's also a repeating section in the song that really plays with the concept of time. The guitar strums have this push and pull feeling as some chords come late, some arrive early. It is pretty mind-bending the first time you hear it but once you get used to it, it has an incredible feel.

Matterhorn is another highlight with its epic last leg. After a calm build-up, guitarist Joey Martel busts in with an absolutely rippin' solo. The rhythm underneath is pretty disjointed with some typical math rock stopping and starting which later goes into this more straightforward, driving groove. This transition would feel rather abrupt if it weren't for the way the guitar solo seamlessly transitions into a beautiful, twinkling guitar lead. After another powerful, tension-building crescendo with crashing cymbals and driving guitars, we are left with two different guitar parts that when fused together, create one of the record's most cathartic moments.

Lastly, I'll mention Fighting Off Birds which is a bit of an anomaly on the record. It has this sense of curiosity and adventure thanks to its spontaneous, more math rock influenced passages, and its wondrous melody. Towards the end of the track, the band incorporates some string arrangements that eventually grows into this overwhelming rush as some distant and distorted drums wail away in the back. This cacophony suddenly ceases as if a new found sense clarity has been revealed.

There are a few moments on the record that I feel are a little long winded and aimless; simply stitching together part after part without a concept of where the song has been or where its going. Even during these moments, however, the musicianship and chemistry between all band members is felt so strongly that there is hardly a dull moment. I still play this record from time to time, and I still am amazed and perplexed by what I am hearing. Their music is so inspiring and I'm very thankful that I've had the opportunity to hang out with and get to know them on a personal level. Do the band and yourself a favour and go check this out.