1476 - Smoke For the Sky

Hydro back (finally) with something not so abrasive to your senses. Yep, my time will be split from now on between good and bad albums. My primary purpose is to inform the masses of the shit to stay away from. Let me tell you that there is quite a bit. I have a whole pile of albums that should have never have been made waiting for some Book of Poo love. However, today is not a day for that. Today I am delving into the esoteric. I am descending into the mystical. I am going down the long path to Salem, MA to look at the new offering from 1476.

Those who are here looking for Argyle Goolsby all over the place get lost. He wrote one song on the first album and lent vocals. Neil DeRosa and Robb Kavjian are the skeleton and muscle of this band. The music speaks for itself. In the wake of Goolsby leaving the band to concentrate full time on Blitzkid we find Robb and Neil hard at work in the studio. To fill the void between full length albums we get this four song acoustic EP entitled “Smoke in the Sky”. 1476 and Blitzkid are two different entities and this shows. This EP really begins to bring 1476 into its own entity. In no way do I mean that the first album “A Wolf’s Age” was anything less than original with strong character. Like a fine wine Robb and Neil get better with every passing recording.

I refuse to accept everything an artist does as gold. I’m sure you all know this about me by now. However, let us call a spade a spade. This is a really great EP. Robb’s lyrics tell a story and still have enough poetic justice that one may read into the subtle master strokes. Neil is on the foot path that Mr. Pert (of Rush fame) began on. I can’t say he is on the same level, but I see the potential. Layers are well placed within these tracks. This just shows that home recordings crafted by the right minds are as grand as anything the falling mega labels have ever put out. I do mean that.

Let me delve into this four track mood driven gem.

So we find six tracks on this CD EP. Wait…I know I said four tracks, but there are an intro and outro present and I’m not really considering them songs. Ave Apollyon and Ave Apollo cap the beginning and end of these four songs. Droning guitar and antiquarian drums paint the back drop of some spoken word. The female voice used here is rather enticing. Both intro and outro are similar just differ in length.

I’m whisked away to another realm of thought; one of awaiting knowledge and unforeseen forces, as To Draw the Fifteen strikes my speakers. Proper use of echo on the vocals, a catchy tune with not overly flashy guitar and interesting drum work create an amazing five minutes of song. Robb’s vocals are like a good year of wine. He seems to get better with age. Neil doesn’t over use his cymbals or his snare. I think maybe I’m just used to really shitty music. This is a great song. It has the atmosphere of “JuJu” era Souxie and the Banshees, but a character all to itself.

I’m drawn into this EP fully as To Reveal the Shadow Self makes its presence known. Everything you love about 1476 is in this song. I would have thought that my ears would be missing some electric guitar. This is not the case. I’ve always liked the mix of acoustic and electric songs that Robb presents. Not many musicians give a dynamic palette. This is another solid song from the current duo.

The third song is the EP’s title track, To Call Up Smoke. Well maybe not fully the title track, but I’m sure this spurred the idea for the title. I’m my own opinion this is the weakest track on the disc. Trust me when I say this song is still great. A poetic look at a witch burning always chokes me up. They present solid instrumentation and solid lyrics. This is more than you get with most bands.

The final tune is called To Lye In Waite and we get a little experimental studio work to this recording. A jazzy vibe permeates the vintage record undertone. The mood takes on a far more melancholy tone as well. Backing female vocals augment Robb’s outstanding performance. A slick piano line gives a very noir feeling. I would say this is my favorite song on this EP. Excellent all around!

There you go. Short, sweet, and solid; not many bands do that on top of giving great recordings. I’m sure if you want to listen to this EP, wetting those eager lips for the next full length album, iTunes or Amazon will have this for mp3 hound. Or, and I suggest this, you could go and buy the album from the band and get the CD. You know…a Compact Disc…those round things with shiny bottoms that have music on them. They can be played in the car, computer, or in a DVD player. I highly recommend this EP.

1476