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Not Breathing, "Carrion Sounds"

KimoSciotic
Dave Wright's approach to music serves as his greatest strength and thehinge upon which his weakness rests. Near every song on his newestrelease has a soundtrack quality to it, coming across as if it belongedto any number of gritty sci-fi movies from the past twenty years. Thereare layers upon layers of jumbled drum tracks, erratic signal chaos,computer malfunctions, and muscular bass melodies. I can see the floorsof abandoned houses soaked and creaking from numerous leaks, the lightof candles flickering across the walls, and the awkward crawl ofshadows jumping across the room with the sudden gusts of air billowingthrough the rooms; but what's missing is some element that keeps mewanting to come back. Carrion Soundsfeels so thematic that I find that I have difficulty maintaininginterest throughout the album. By the time "Worlock Radar" drops itsblack breath over my head, I'm feeling rather removed from the musicand there's little making me want to get back into it. Some of thesongs just over-extend their welcome: seven minutes of insane drumprogramming and strobe-light special effects is difficult to sitthrough unless it's done to perfection. With that in mind, "BebeBarron's Panties" (featuring Mr. Meat Beat Manifesto) is a realstandout: it isn't one of the longest tracks on the disc, but the spacethat Jack Dangers provides in between the sounds improves the formulathat Not Breathing works with throughout the duration of the album. Carrion Soundsis unique, however, many of the sounds have a life all their own anddon't feel overused or familiar. David Wright certainly providesinteresting rhythmic and melodic combinations, but overall fails tokeep my attention for a long stretch of time. I find the record pullingat me every now then for a quick and heavy dose, but the record is besttaken in steps: Wright certainly has a lot of talent, just a littlerefinement and this record would be excellent. 

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