Review: Crash Coodinates' 'Ansible'
Crash Coordinates are impressive. That's the first adjective that comes to mind. Others pop up later ("huge," "expansive," "epic," etc.), but beyond all else, the Arizona five-piece's progressive aural assault is impressive in the superlative sense. Calling to mind similarly-minded acts like Minus The Bear, Thrice and early Mars Volta, Crash Coordinates seem poised on the cusp of something very unique.
The first and most noticeable aspect is the group's approach to composition. Guitarist Chris Wahl utilizes percussive single-note runs, at times harmonized by singer/guitarist Chris Kalla.
The bass lines oscillate between locking in with the drums, mimicking the guitars and taking a walk somewhere else entirely. The drums, for their part, are powerful, angular and rhythmic, interlocking with the guitars in a way that powerfully recalls recent Minus The Bear.
In fact, the least impressive part of the entire package is the vocals -- which are themselves sung with power and confidence, and occasionally filled out in three-part harmony.
"Ansible" strides the line between EP and full album.
While comprised of just six tracks, the overall length is more than 25 minutes, and there is absolutely no fat to be trimmed. The music is concise, the songs snappy and powerful, and the hooks undeniable.
The only area where the group seems less confident is on the subject of beginnings, as four of the six tracks start out rather awkwardly before the full guitars-bass-drums-keyboards sound kicks in.
But a few seconds of awkwardness is more than forgivable if the rest of the music sounds like it does here. Produced by Bob Hoag (The Bled, Dear And The Headlights), "Ansible" is the sound of a fiercely creative collective of musicians captured in sonic near-perfection.
As for the songs themselves, well there's not a weak link here.
"Beyond These Atlantic Tides" boasts a hook a mile wide, while the dramatic closer "Pompeii," complete with a real-live string section, is just about as huge a sound as it is possible to capture on a CD.
It's a shame the album is only six tracks, as more of this music would definitely not be amiss, but this is an impressive first outing by an unsigned band -- and the kind of thing that hints that they won't remain unsigned for long.
Crash Coordinates, "Ansible"
3 stars