Scribbler
Self-titled 7"
Stumparumper Records
Genre: lo-fi, indie rock,
experimental
Halifax, NS
June 5, 2009 |
The seven-inch single is a precarious art
form. It only allows for first impressions. But Scribbler
doesn't seem too stressed out about it
on this swell frisbee from
Patrick
Kelley's Stumparumper label; the result
is a quaintly superb work of lo-fi avant-rock/pop. The band forgoes
the urgency that such a time-limited recording might produce, instead
focusing on intriguing the (very
appreciative) listener.
Heading off Side A is the strolling "My
Old Lady," all falsetto vocals and acoustic folk guitar. Longing yet
pretty, it provides a curious juxtaposition to "A Girl Should," whose
acerbic guitar chords and sheer density conjure
the mood of an Archers of Loaf demo.
The B-side turns up the weirdness factor
considerably; lights should be dimmed accordingly. "Ocean Floor"
returns to AoL in all its abrasion and restlessness, making for
a smoldering torrent of an indie rock song.
Brief "A Few Days
of Storm," meanwhile, is a titillating morsel of off-kilter folk,
while "Nothing but Pain" and tinny "zzzzzz" are stray scraps that
close the record on a bizarre note.
If every label put out seven-inches like
this, the world would be a much better place. Scribbler have
made the most of their allotted groove time,
designing a curious piece of vinyl that can be yours for merely
four dollars and fifty cents. Convinced?
[Limited to 300
hand-numbered copies on black vinyl.]
scribbler's myspace
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 6 tracks, distributed by
the
label,
released 2009] |