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Charalambides, "A Vintage Burden"
Tom Carter made a revealing statement in his Eye interview, claiming that Charalambides has always been a fairly direct band. Whether they sound mysterious or not, returning to their material with this in mind has been an eye opener. On Charalambides' latest record, the band sounds more confident than ever, directing their energy into a powerful piece of musicianship, passion, and vision. and also recording what happens to be their best album to date.
Tom Carter's interview was telling, a view from the musician's point of view that provided an insight rare in the digital era. With so many artists to pay attention to, he was capable of being both concise and informative. Though quiet at times, the band has a distinct power, one that both Tom and Christina Carter have made a conscious effort to expose. Simultaneously, the band emits a gauzy presence, both ethereal and firmly based in ideas and experiences everyone can appreciate. The band rides a line between mystical solitude and sure-footed potency. This facet of their music stands out specifically on A Vintage Burden. The band, now a duo, have stripped their music down. As Tom Carter explicated in his interview, the band has previously relied on processing and effects to mount an energetic attack on their audience. Their work on this album, however, sounds nearly acoustic in its opening moments and throughout the majority of the record.
Soft electric guitar floats through the air carelessly with Christina's beautiful, smooth, and powerful voice. Joy Shapes began somewhat caustically, sounding like the echoes of a banshee in its death throws. For the most part, that presentation stayed consistent throughout and that album still sounds haunted and illusory to me. A Vintage Burden is the opposite, a definite and moving record that has more in common with folk music than many may care to admit. Though the guitar work sounds largely improvisational, there is a more concrete structure to many of the songs, especially "Spring" and "Dormant Love." The chords sing joyously, announcing their presence undisturbed, reveling in the simplicity of the piece. If Tom Carter's words said anything to me, it is that Charalambides appreciate the power of clarity. It is clarity that wins me over on this record and singles it out as the single best collection of music I've heard from the band.
I'd hate to call this a pop record, but the first half of the album surely speaks of the duo's appreciation for song craft. They've melded their experimental and boisterous attitude with plainly stroked guitars and warped melodies that succeed more because of their directness, not because of their alienating aspects. Assuredly, Charalambides maintain a whimsical side to their work on this album, but instead of channeling it through abstract techniques and strange sounds, they simply work through songs, adding layers here and there in effective and careful ways. Every instrument finds a proper place on the record and then voices itself perfectly; the band neither understates nor overstates any of the sounds they utilize. Much of this album's appeal comes from how perfectly conceived it is. Melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and noise all weave in and out of one another like they were made to be positioned that way. Perhaps chance had more to do with some of these arrangements than I am aware of, but if that is the case then such a fact speaks volumes about how well Tom and Christina Carter play together. The circular melody that appears on the electric guitar in "Black Bed Blues" at approximately six minutes is astounding; it is a perfectly planned blend of old west cinematic flare and dusty European mystery. It sounds both familiar and foreign, a blend of American musicianship and exotic techniques that resonates perfectly with the mood A Vintage Burden establishes early on. Both "Black Bed Blues" and "Two Birds" run over 12 minutes long and together they compose more than half hour of this roughly 18 minute record. Their gravity is undeniable, their position on the record giving them a weight that suggests they are the most important pieces of this album. That they are surrounded by more conventional tunes merely suggests that the band is still experimenting with their ideas and adapting faithful techniques to new ones. To call "Two Birds" unusual, however, is to take away from the fact that some of the best guitar work I've heard from the band appears on this song. Despite its length, it resembles a song proper more than an exercise in stretching the dimensions of music. It may stretch and breathe more than conventional pop songs, but it never sounds unwelcome; constant attention is given to when and where sounds should appear and disappear and when they should peak violently or whisper reassuringly.
Power was a recurring theme in my head while listening to this record, the way that power sounds when wielded by the right hands. I suppose most anyone could make a powerful record by turning the volume up and maximizing their distortion to the point of reckless abandon, but Charalambides emphasize the power of their music by turning it down a bit and relying on more skillful factors. When a song begins, it grabs my attention immediately and refuses to let go, the weight of what it speaks manifested in the careful plucking of an acoustic guitar or the death moans of an electric six string stretching through the background. The live performances in the band's Eye episode revealed that being loud and being direct is as much about dynamics and silence as it is about being confrontational. To sum up everything I'm thinking about this record: it is the best thing Charalambides have done and it stands out as being their most direct, stripped down record to date. Their distorted, massive sound has not been replaced in the process, however. It has merely been evolved, shifted, and arranged into a new kind of beast. My heart's been stolen by A Vintage Burden and now more than ever I'm sure that Charalambides are one of the finest bands currently walking the planet. More from them could only mean more excellent and surprising music, not to mention more emotive and emotional work. Never have I heard the band sound so human and direct, but I'm happy they've decided to open themselves up on this record as it renders the music more personally touching.
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