A Minor Forest
Inindependence
Thrill Jockey
Friends told me that this was one of those rare records that comes along every few years and flattens you, possibly even changing you. I heard about their ongoing classical musical training at Berkeley, and how much they love Metallica, and how the drummer faces away from audiences at their shows. Aspiring bands out here in San Francisco talk of possibly getting a show with A Minor Forest like it would assure them of instant recognition. Well, those hopes will now have to be placed on another’s shoulders, as the news quickly spreads that AMF is calling it quits. And I suppose that sucks to some degree, but at least they leave us with Inindependence, which for all its gymnastic ability is nothing really new. But it certainly does have its moments. In between all the high-brow guitar compositions and tricky patterns are moments when it feels like the band is about to implode. Complexity is truly tested at faster than appropriate speeds. AMF’s drummer strives to throw the others off beat. And at one point in “… it’s Salmon!!!” he successfully coordinates the attempt to make a band sound like it’s crashing into something at high speed while trailing all sorts of debris in its wake. But it’s not that Neutral Milk Hotel album that never leaves my turntable. Thrill Jockey Records, Box 476794, Chicago, IL 60647
