June of 44
Four Great Points
Quarterstick
If the musical world were a pond it would be safe to say that the majority of bands would be fish, quietly swimming under the surface, maintaining the status quo. They may be great fish, but fish they are nonetheless. Then there are those who stand on the shore and throw rocks, splashes rippling, causing the fish to move in certain directions. June of 44 is clearly on the shore, and their pile of rocks has gotten bigger.
Four Great Points is quieter and more refined, yet their most adventurous record yet (well, I still haven’t heard the Anatomy of Sharks EP… ). There are still tense songs that rock a bit, but even those are nicely skewed. For the most part subtle, hypnotically repetitive melodies evolve in low-key songs accentuated by various percussion, Moog, electronica, trumpet, and whatever sounds good. Eight richly textured songs utilizing mathy changes and structures in an entrancing way, whether it’s tense math rock or laid-back dub. Mature and diverse. Highly recommended. Touch And Go Records, P.O. Box 25520, Chicago, IL 60625-0520