The Appleseed Cast – Sagarmatha CD Review
I’ll go out on a limb here and assume your imminent satisfaction level with The Appleseed Cast (new album Sagarmatha) is based solely on what it is you hold in your hand the most. If it’s an IPod you’re regularly clutching I’m going to guess you’ll find them agreeable at best. If it’s a microphone you prefer (as in karaoke) chances are you won’t like the group. But, if it happens to be drumsticks or the neck of a (working) guitar you’re holding, I’ll hazard a guess you’re going to like them.
The Appleseed Cast – a quartet originally from California but now based in Lawrence Kansas – is what happens when musicians make music – as opposed to musicians making songs – or, even worse, when simple people make (simple) songs.
They’re like poets reading other poets. There music isn’t readily-accessible but it can be appealing. It’s the sonic equivalent to moderately-priced wine feeding the masses. Those with broader tastes – in this case, ears – are likely to find the music more agreeable to their palate.
Look them up on Wikipedia and you’ll find, besides the obligatory timeline and FYI, a good portion of each of the four member’s bios is filled with a detailed listing of the weapons they wield, right down to the effects pedals (lead Chris Crisci, for example, uses an Xotic RC booster, Fulltone Fulldrive 2, Line6 Echo Park, Boss TR-2, Line6 DL4, and an Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man in case you were wondering).
Thing is, these guys – Crisci along with Aaron Pillar, Marc Young and Aaron Coker – know their audience. They play to an eclectic, learned crowd. They’re exploratory artists. If you want structure and an anthemic chorus, look elsewhere.
Their songs –a term used rather loosely in this instance – vary anywhere from a minute and a half to eight minute wonders. As Little Things Go, the first track hits the 6:22 mark before you hear the first word (although you’d be hard-pressed to know what it is) while other cuts are simply instrumentals. Let it be said though that this isn’t a detriment; it’s more about adapting your listening style. If it’s structure you seek, turn on the radio. If you want to hear some guys and their wandering axes, listen closely.
While I’d like to say this is a monumental album, it isn’t. It’s way past ordinary; somewhere in front of decent and nipping at the heels of excellent. Personal favourites include the aforementioned opening track along with The Summer Before and An Army of Fireflies. Exactly why I like them is pretty much a mystery and therein lays the beauty of The Appleseed Cast but I can guarantee something about them, some element, one song or two, will appeal to everyone. How much you appreciate them as a group and Sagarmatha as an album, is dependent on aural music sensibility and penchant for playing music as much as listening to it. And, with that, I’ll stick with my initial theories.
The Appleseed Cast – A Bright Light
The Appleseed Cast – As Little Things Go
The Appleseed Cast – The Summer Before
Tags: album
