Piedmont Sorpid
"WilberForce" reviewed
Stylus (Winnipeg's CKUW FM magazine)
Dec., Jan. '01/'02
With a question asked
on the album artwork, WilberForce begins with a
foreseeable ending: "This may be my last musical offering
for sometime?" It may be a time for a rest for BC's CJ Einar
(aka Piedmont Sorpid), who has been hard at work with Piedmont
Sorpid and his record label, Dainty Deathy. But the product of
Einar's hard work offers the aural experience that is excellent...
This outing seems to be much more gritty, song-like than albums
past: it works so well. To some degree WilberForce engenders
elements that are not unfamiliar to the work of previous albums.
There are some lovely guitar experiments, as with Estes Places
and more abstract fuzzy sounds, as with Piedmont's first disc.
Standout songs here include the title track, as well as the final
"Hand is Houndy." The placement of the songs, the multitude
of smaller, noisier nuances of the recording, and the depth that
the guitar sounds and overall instrumentation often provide makes
this 34 minute CD a real album. The passionate force of WilberForce
is galvanizing. All music in conducted and performed by
Piedmont Sorpid, with Sam Jones and Chris Cole of Crescent with
Caleb Lambert, Melissa Hames, David Jacks. With its finely handcrafted
package, WilberForce deserves your attention - align
yourself with it.
Deanna Radford.
Exclaim!
Feb., '02
In a move away from his
past modus of tape manipulation married to saturated guitar sound,
CJ Einar now explores territory closer to the "pop"
world. The "pop" world in question, though, is one
that neither we nor *N Sync live in, it's a parallel universe
where Devo became Sonic Youth and Bauhaus topped the charts.
The transition from old to new is a seamless one, thanks to a
first track entitled "Outro (to Estes Places)," which
was CJ's last full-length, followed by "Intro (to WilberForce)."
Once we're inside we're confronted with a somnambulist tour of
simple drum patterns, rubbery bass lines and wordless vocal loops
that seem to meander in hopes of finding a place to sit and rest.
Eventually a commonality is reached as the elements lock into
a low-key Krautrock-like pulse. In other places the beat disappears
completely and pastoral guitar tones soothe the listener. Overall,
a sense of letting things happen in their own time governs the
album. Just as water finds its level, apparently so does WilberForce.
Eric Hill.
All
Music Guide
March. '02
Piedmont Sorpid's Wilber
Force is an exquisite exercise in post-rock/post-pop esthetics.
References to Gastr del Sol, Stereolab, the Nurse with Wound
entourage, and the late-'90s avant-rock scene in Olympia, WA
(U.S.A.), all give
pointers to what this short CD is about, but they don't give
up its essence. Mastermind CJ Einar devised a set of modern pop
songs, catchy, simple to the bone, and yet very creative in their
arrangements and group setting. Some are instrumentals, some
are sung or accompanied by narration from Melissa Hames. Typical
post-rock/lo-fi drums (recorded with a single microphone, just
a bit sloppy) provide a languid pulse. Strange guitars and keyboards
are added, each part carefully tailored to tug the piece in an
unusual direction. Crescent members Sam Jones and Chris Cole
contribute guitars on two cuts. The fusion of American post-rock,
ambient pop, and isolationist elements could hardly be any more
convincing. Furthermore, the production is enough off-the-wall
to keep you on your toes, but it doesn't interfere with the flow
of the songs. Among the heaps of indie records released each
month, this CD takes the shape of a diamond. Don't let it be
buried. Released in an edition of 500 copies.
François Couture.
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©2007 : Dainty
Deathy Productions