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Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores, "The Smother Party"
Mysterious, east European gypsies get together with crazy, German, acid eating Can fans only to allow some guy with an accordion into the party. This guy, Alec K. Redfearn, happens to be pretty sharp with the old squeeze box and he brings a couple of friends to stomp, shout, and holler beside him. With horns, violins, glockenspiel, and the kitchen sink in tow, this motley crew cranks out some righteous tunes with caustic bravado and surreptitious sensuality.
Joy is abundant the minute Redfearn begins to play the accordion, the second the first song starts. A playful attitude, highlighted by the motion of his sound, bounces from second to second and is supported in the form of singing violins and the pitter patter of drummer keeping time in the background. Vocal harmonies begin to weave with the pulse and sway of the other musicians as they dance about each other in circles - it's a magnificent way to open a record, a complex and catchy introduction to a band I'm now firmly addicted to. Fortunately the rest of the album doesn't disappoint. Redfearn and the Eyesores play with their sound, modulating it enough to evoke cartoon images of French sailors one moment and tormented, hungry thieves the next. They stay sweetly listenable the entire time, using their progressive influences to pepper already exquisite song writing.
Though the songs are obvious and immediate, there exists an air of surrealism all over the disc. The accordion is, at times, turned into an electric instrument, sounding like a guitar about to gasp its last breath; the drums escalate from light percussive spices to all out assaults of bombastic flare and titanic rhythms. The lyrics, where they exist, run the gamut from bloody details and awkward sexuality to mechanical, cold, stiff displays and demented takes on what an adjective can do for a word. Everything swims on the edge of the void, awaiting the tiniest push to send everything spiraling into obscurity. Redfearn and company are smarter than that, constantly swimming against the current and fusing the strange with the recognizable in a seamless fashion.
There's a lot to love about this record, but first and foremost is how musically accomplished it is. This band plays together so well it's scary. They obviously communicate very well, but on top of that are the songs themselves. There are memorable melodies all over this record, but the band is also obsessed with more obscure, surreal music and they integrate that side of their creativity into the music without forgetting about and obscuring the songs. The strings on this record sound so bright and alive next to their accompaniments, each instrument highlighting the one next to it. It's a miracle this band hasn't seen more press. They certainly deserve it, their ability to merge two distinct worlds of music into one is reason enough to check the band out. I keep coming back to this record for its exotic sound and wonderful melodies, though. No matter how much some of the album sounds like the child of a progressive rock band and Turkish mystics, the arrangements and the band's ability to play with tension and release are the most exciting and the most inviting and rewarding parts of an album that seems to have an endless supply of ideas to offer.
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