Album Review: Akron/Family - Sub Verses
- Written by Rob Aldam
Michael Gira is not your typical record label head-honcho. To put it mildly his press release for Sub Verses, the new Akron/Family record, is more than a bit out there. Whilst listening to the album, he decided to lay down his thoughts in writing. These include: “Reach to the sky, but the sky is a thick swirl of purple/brown goo...” and “Grizzled Beach Boys, fully bearded and flea infested willfully surrendering to the lysergic gas attack. Hold your shriveled ego and watch it unfold like a purple meat-flower in your grubby hand...” You could be forgiven for mistaking these as the ramblings of a madman, but after you've listened to Sub Verses a few times, it kind of makes sense.
Formed back in 2003, Akron/Family are three multi-instrumentalists who live in Portland, Tucson and New York. Hardly an ideal set-up for a band, but this sense of displacement epitomises their sound. They began playing and recording demos in Williamsburg, before they were spotted by Gira who signed them to Young God Records and released their first album back in 2005. With a tendency to expand their numbers for live shows, there’s been several comings and goings over the years; not least founder member Ryan Veerhoof who apparently left to join a Dharma.
Sub Verses is many things. It’s a sprawling cacophony of sound, a bestial dirge of cabalistic enlightenment which erratically branches off into a myriad of directions; as loose as the threads binding the musicians together. A primal intensity drives their every move; feeling organic and brimming with a force of nature. Washed-out vocals mix in with sludgy rhythms, rhythmical beats and overlapping instrumentation, to create a melting pot of sound and emotion.
The album opens in a hypnotic trance with the gentle rumblings of ‘No Room’; the drum beat leading a march into a sprawling desert. ‘Way Up’ snarls with grisly intent before being tamed into the background; replaced with transcendental chants and a mellow complexity. As they hit their stride Sub Verses opens up to reveal a deep tender heart; ‘Until the Morning’ hints at a more laconic disposition as they delve deeply into their souls, whilst ‘Sand Talk’ is a peyote-filled riotous symphony.
As a whole, Sub Verses feels slightly disjointed and out of control, but somehow the pieces all fall into place. Breaking out into an unholy cacophony of diabolic rapture midway through ‘Holy Boredom’; at times they sound like Swans on Temazepam. Indeed, listening to the record feels like being on a hallucinogenic roller coaster, it’s definitely not all plain sailing.
On a stifling summer’s night, Akron/Family journeyed into the mountains to meditate on the meaning of life and discover long-forgotten truths. Their journey of self-discovery has produced the rich harvest, Sub Verses.
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