On their second album this trio continues the sound of their 2018's self-titled debut, expanding the dense, continually flowing sound showcased there even further. Across three instrumentals (and one shorter vocal based song), More Klementines effortlessly jump between expansive improvised passages with taut, motorik rhythmic sections, resulting in a perfect junction of two very different styles.
Dynamic shifts are something More Klementines accomplishes effortlessly. Right from the opening of "Hot Peace," Michael Kiefer propels the lengthy session with subtle, understated drumming and delicate chimes, while guitarist Jon Schlesinger and multiple instrumentalist Steubs weave in layered guitar and bass. Occasionally drifting towards jam band territory (but keeping things tastefully psychedelic and dissonant), the trio drift into an expansive, open passage about two thirds of the way through, eventually building back to a wall of guitar scrapes and scatter-shot drumming.
On the second long instrumental, "Who Remembers Light," the group comes in with a blend of chiming, echoing guitar mixed with some more forceful, flanged sounds. Muffled drums appear, and soon everything locks into a chaotic, complex mix of loose noise and structured melody. Evolving into a tense, robotic beat, the trio end up pulling everything apart into an abstract conclusion that reconstitutes into a swell of heavily effected guitars and erratic rhythms.
The two shorter songs are notably different, with the instrumental "Ascension" remaining somewhat consistent throughout, with pulsating electric and acoustic guitar and a beautiful bass tone. Compared to the longer pieces, this one stays a bit more down beat and restrained until its freakout conclusion, but even there the trio stay somewhat reserved. "Key of Caesar" is the most significant departure, not only clocking in at a succinct sub four minute duration, but also featuring straight ahead vocals from Schlesinger. Comparatively, it feels more directly rooted in early 1990s indie rock and is far more conventional sounding, even with its multilayered, complex guitar sound.
The free form nature of Who Remembers Light is immediately engaging, nicely balancing out harsher guitar sounds with melodic, cleaner tones throughout. The trio's penchant of alternating between structure and chaos, as well as dissonance and melody makes for a perfect dynamic, and even the two shorter pieces show that they can write a traditional song just as easily as they can improvise molten psychedelia.
Read More
