S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
Akron/Family – S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
By Evelyn Anne Clausen
Listening to experimental rock can sometimes be more of a chore than a pleasure. I find myself thinking things like, “Yes, this is interesting, but do I actually enjoy listening to it?” Far too often, the answer is no. I’m all for experimenting in theory. I think the world needs bands who are willing to push the envelope, even if the result isn’t exactly pleasant. So, picture my joy when I come across a band like Akron/Family that can push indie rock to some weird places, but still maintain a sound that a fan actually wants to hear.
Akron/Family’s newest release is titled S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT and according to an email sent out by the band last fall, even they don’t know what that means. In the same way, Akron/Family doesn’t seem to really know what their music means either, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT ranges in sound from Japanese punk to found sound loops to industrial hardcore to gentle folk-rock. This is one case where a band’s lack of consistent focus actually serves them well. Any of these sounds alone would become tiresome and unpleasant, but mixed together, the elements are like a painting by Pollock: up close it’s a drippy mess, but if you stand back and view the entire work, it’s an amazing portrait of motion itself.
This is prog-rock that doesn’t just experiment with sound, but shapes it into something that is at once challenging and exciting. Akron/Family’s skill is not only in trying new sounds, but in knowing just how to mix all these different noises into something surprisingly coherent. The loud, shouting sections are followed by soft harmonic vocals and gentle guitar and the mellow, softly sung lyrics are followed by sounds of volcanoes and city traffic. It’s pure madness, but it works.
In the end, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT may suffer from an identity crisis, but it’s a fun identity crisis, one that I will happy to listen to over and over again.
Editor’s Note: Evelyn Anne Clausen is a contributor to DeadJournalist.com. Her reviews can be seen on this site on a regular basis. You can follow her on Twitter @evelynanne or via her Web site easbrain.com.
[...] What does the title S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Sinju TNT mean? Hell if I know, and apparently, Akron/Family doesn’t know either. What they do know, is how to take the notoriously difficult genre of progressive rock and make thoroughly enjoyable and listenable to a wide audience. Read my full review of the album on DeadJournalist.com here. [...]
[...] albums in the last nine years, beginning with 2005′s self-titled debut full-length. We reviewed the band’s last album, Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT, a couple of months after its release [...]