Raime’s debut is the first original full-length released by Blackest Ever Black. The London duo conjures shadowy dirges that meld early industrial aesthetics and electronic rhythms with atmospheric jungle-goth rumblings and strains of post-punk. Awash in machine noise, live guitar and a patina of experimental and doom, the perfect venues for this sonic exploration to reverberate in are thickly curtained bedrooms filled with flickering candlelight or cold warehouses with cobwebs that glisten when struck by an occasional ray of light. Standout tracks include “Soil and Colts” and “Your Cast Will Tire.” (Samantha Anne Carrillo)
Zs Zs Score The Complete Sextet Works: 2002-2007 (Northern Spy)
Taken altogether, Zs’ Complete Sextet Works is both breathtakingly minimalist and highly developed. It’s postmodern avant-prog that makes four and half hours seem like a mere blink of the third eye. These compositions demonstrate the width and breadth of the group’s talent and training. A DJ friend gave me this, saying Northern Spy sent it to him with explicit instructions to rip it and pass it on. That share-alike attitude and confidence in the work’s strength is uplifting and warranted. Even my friend’s pet pig dug this box set. The porcine egghead’s nibbles on the box serve as proof. (Samantha Anne Carrillo)
FatherÕs Day IÕll Tell You When YouÕve Had Enough (Self-released)
Thrash-punk outfit Father’s Day’s latest release, I’ll Tell You When You’ve Had Enough, has eight tracks and runs just under 11 minutes. Those minutes are enough to make even the most thoroughbred punk say “nah, man.” Tracks like “Sleazy” and “It’s Not Love, It’s Dad Stuff” touch mostly on childhood abuse and sexual misconduct and, while that may be someone’s bag, this listener wasn’t amused or intrigued. The only seemingly enjoyable track I encountered was “Jennifer Lilly,” but one mediocre song is not enough to make this album a winner, or even a not-so-deserved honorable mention. (Mark Lopez)
