Slacks Terrestrial
Translation Loss Records TL12 November 15th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
I fell head over heels for Slackss debut, and their sophomore effort showcases enough improvement to surpass the delectable Slacks! with no complications. Still mostly instrumental, Terrestrial is much more streamlined than its predecessor as well as more cohesive, which is perhaps the result of such narrowed focus. I mean, in all seriousness, this whimsical group has upended me with their sheer talent, and their music is both oddly alluring and gratifying on a variety of levels.
Those of you who were sensible enough to trap Slacks! for your devouring pleasure will notice that this is a slight improvement, though in about every area possible. The foursome meshes wonderfully, whereas the debuts lineup felt more like a free-for-all in which members were engaged in some eccentric project. There are a few guest contributions, but for the most part, Slacks seem like a defined unit. The bluegrass/country/blues vibrations are omnipresent too, and that can be attributed to the appearance of the acoustic guitar, clean electric guitar, and of course the oh-so-likeable banjo. Rather than making just cameos, said instruments get played frequently, plus there arent any style deviations like on their former release. While there arent as many tracks thatll grip you outright at least when compared to Slacks! Terrestrial is a stronger release on the whole, as certain ditties will prove. Shoot em Up is the lead-in, and though its slow goings at first, the volume gradually increases. Relaying a surprising amount of feeling, Shoot em Up has the familiar banjo twangs in addition to the classic clean guitar leads. At 2:15, the opus bursts with emotion, reminding me that there is value outside of metals walls. When everything converges on Marrs, though, it draws out similar reactions. Out of seven tracks, the only two that feature vocals are On the Kennebec and The Man Who Couldnt Rage; Im partial to the instrumentals myself, but the aforementioned do indeed warrant a few listens.
It may seem like Im not as excited about this as I was with their prior outing, and I guess Im not since Ive already seen what they can do. Despite the lack of infectious songs excluding Shoot em Up and Marrs this is a cut above Slacks!. I cant recommend these rustic fellows enough, and it looks like Slacks arent just for wearing anymore. Either way, youll want to try them on for size.
8.5/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Slacks Website
Official Translation Loss Records Website
Translation Loss Records TL12 November 15th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
I fell head over heels for Slackss debut, and their sophomore effort showcases enough improvement to surpass the delectable Slacks! with no complications. Still mostly instrumental, Terrestrial is much more streamlined than its predecessor as well as more cohesive, which is perhaps the result of such narrowed focus. I mean, in all seriousness, this whimsical group has upended me with their sheer talent, and their music is both oddly alluring and gratifying on a variety of levels.
Those of you who were sensible enough to trap Slacks! for your devouring pleasure will notice that this is a slight improvement, though in about every area possible. The foursome meshes wonderfully, whereas the debuts lineup felt more like a free-for-all in which members were engaged in some eccentric project. There are a few guest contributions, but for the most part, Slacks seem like a defined unit. The bluegrass/country/blues vibrations are omnipresent too, and that can be attributed to the appearance of the acoustic guitar, clean electric guitar, and of course the oh-so-likeable banjo. Rather than making just cameos, said instruments get played frequently, plus there arent any style deviations like on their former release. While there arent as many tracks thatll grip you outright at least when compared to Slacks! Terrestrial is a stronger release on the whole, as certain ditties will prove. Shoot em Up is the lead-in, and though its slow goings at first, the volume gradually increases. Relaying a surprising amount of feeling, Shoot em Up has the familiar banjo twangs in addition to the classic clean guitar leads. At 2:15, the opus bursts with emotion, reminding me that there is value outside of metals walls. When everything converges on Marrs, though, it draws out similar reactions. Out of seven tracks, the only two that feature vocals are On the Kennebec and The Man Who Couldnt Rage; Im partial to the instrumentals myself, but the aforementioned do indeed warrant a few listens.
It may seem like Im not as excited about this as I was with their prior outing, and I guess Im not since Ive already seen what they can do. Despite the lack of infectious songs excluding Shoot em Up and Marrs this is a cut above Slacks!. I cant recommend these rustic fellows enough, and it looks like Slacks arent just for wearing anymore. Either way, youll want to try them on for size.
8.5/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Slacks Website
Official Translation Loss Records Website
