Kylesa - Spiral Shadow

Is it metal? Not really. Do I care? Not really. Much has been made of the ’90s indie rock influences in Kylesa’s Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist, 2010). But such commentary loses sight of the forest for the trees. Sure, the record harks back to a time when “indie” didn’t mean “stovepipe jeans”. “Back and Forth” has Sonic Youth all over it. My favorite song on the album, “Don’t Look Back”, sounds like a beefed-up Pixies. But Kylesa are still Kylesa, and are better than ever at it.

Each song is obviously Kylesa’s. The elements are unmistakable: the brassiness of riffs and rhythms, Phillip Cope’s bray, Laura Pleasants’ coo. The latter is strong and confident, balancing Cope’s vocals well.

What’s truly new is the strength of the songwriting. It’s a master class in making the most of very little. The songs are tight, unique units. Kylesa are not virtuosos, and they won’t challenge The Beatles with cleverness. One can feel the hours of work spent welding and massaging these songs together. But the parts coalesce into sums – a primary goal of songwriting. For a heavy band now to write 11 songs that one can tell apart is virtually unheard of. But that’s the case here.

Even better, these songs also form a sum. This isn’t a concept record, but it describes an atmosphere of struggle and striving. In simple, terse terms, the songs discuss distance, roads, climbs: “Keep moving, don’t look back”; “Every mistake I’ve made, I would make again / If that is what it took to be where I am”.

Where Kylesa are is a good place. They have their own sound. They write good songs. 99% of bands don’t do those things. Sure, Kylesa’s perch isn’t perfect. They still haven’t figured out what to do with two drummers. Those were wasted in this record’s compact song format. Maybe longer, Neurosis-style jams would better utilize the drummers. This is the first record in ages where I wished the songs were longer. They aren’t journeys, but crisp jogs around the block. But that’s fine. Kylesa are growing, learning things, and applying them well. Those are the kinds of people worth keeping around.

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HEAR SPIRAL SHADOW

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“Don’t Look Back”

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“Spiral Shadow”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJdrpifkht0

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BUY SPIRAL SHADOW

Amazon (MP3)
Amazon (CD)
Kylesa official merch store
Season of Mist (various formats)
Relapse (many different formats)

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KYLESA – REMAINING TOUR DATES, 2010
w/ Clutch, Righteous Fool

Dec 27 – The National, Richmond VA
Dec 28 – Northern Lights, Clifton Park NY
Dec 29 – House of Blues, Cleveland OH
Dec 30 – Bogarts, Cincinnati OH
Dec 31 – The Orange Peel, Asheville NC

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