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Review:
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Music that contradicts itself always fascinates
me. I love a band that surprises by mixing genres, lyrics, and
sounds to reinterpret moods and meanings. Weird musical stylings,
like happy hardcore bands, neurotic bangly pop groups, and the
soft teeth-gnashing of good Goth keep my interest for years
because of the complex use of sound and language. Martyr and
Pistol have always struck me as a group who exemplify such a
musical juxtaposition because they overlay the contradictions
of classic Goth with symphonic cello, further reinterpreting
a standard sub-culture of independent music.
Martyr and Pistol’s second album, Reconstructive Surgery,
delves even deeper into that tradition of Goth while still reminding
me of chamber music and classical concertos. The first track,
Becky, sounds much like the band’s first album: cello-heavy
music best served on a gloomy rainy day or perhaps at a swank
art gallery. Kera Schaley’s sweet mellow voice may even lull
the listener into a state of contemplation or meditation. But,
immediately on the second song, the title track, the cello turns
from a soothing hum to a fierce dark howl, piercing the air
with faster, harder, angrier tones of unrequited love. Schaley’s
voice remains steady, dark, even whisper-like, but her words
bespeak fits of rage and despair -- echoing Goth ancestors like
Joy Division and Bauhaus. Indeed, rarely have I heard a female
lead carry off the contradictory theme of serenity and anger
with so much exactitude.
Reconstructive Surgery hits its high points in
the songs that emphasize this Goth influence. Jealous
integrates bouncy cello notes with focused hostile lyrics of
hatred and bitterness, and its chorus closely resembles and
reinterprets Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Wasted Life is another strong piece highlighting Schaley’s
soothing voice and melodies while featuring manic, desperate
lyrics.
The greatest drawback of this album is not its songwriting
but its recording, particularly on some of the more powered
up works like the title track. Furthermore, songs like Choke
require a range of mixing from delicate chant-like verses to
more aggressive powered-up choruses. Schaley’s voice is sadly
understated throughout the album as well, often getting muffled
and lost in the mixing shuffle. Self-released, the sound is
understandably a poor representation of the crisp compositions
and booming bass that the cello-electric combination carries
out onstage. As with many “rock” bands that include unusual
string instruments, Martyr and Pistol’s music is very difficult
to mix properly without sounding like “sonic mud,” to borrow
a phrase coined by a fellow minion. Reconstructive Surgery
is a fine work that deserves serious re-mastering, a sonic reconstruction
of its own.
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