Off Contact’s “Can You?”

Ok this is a tough one.

I really wanted to like this one because I really enjoyed the previous release they sent me, Pearls Before Swine.

However, the truth is just that this is a different band.

The only consistency between the albums is the rhythm section of Brogan Costa on drums and Patrick Nelson on bass. And as much as I love a good rhythm section (to their credit they’re laying down the grooves almost as well as on Pearls before Swine), to me a good deal (if not most) of the music and the color to a band, an artist, an album, comes from guitars, keyboards, and vocals.

And “Can You?” in this respect is where the color fades and I just don’t appreciate the music as much. The Unwound like droning vocals and melodies of Lindy Wise on the previous release are replaced by the early 90 day men like sarcastic quipping of Qarl Koyzer. The guitar work of Simon Keller is similar to the previous Benjamin Swank in its minimalist post-rock overtones, but the tones are lacking and I find the new guitarist is often just complementing the bass work.

Let’s hope their working out the kinks of their new lineup and we can expect great music again from them in the future, but unfortunately, the new members of the lineup on “Can You?” are just less interesting than and fail to rise above the typical midwestern indie/post-punk group that I heard on Pearls Before Swine.

Thanks for your submittal boys.

-Scott