Abe Vigoda - Skeleton

This is the third LP release by LA post-punk band Abe Vigoda. In a chronological sense, I think their albums have gotten better each time, and I would venture to say that the formula for this is their ability to vent their emotions more creatively with each new release.

There is a shitload of emotion in their music. It's very grabbing, you notice it instantly. The rhythms serve as a kind of salsa-infused palette for which the numbing reverberated guitar melodies to be placed upon. The bass lines are innovative, not too safe, and not too ambitious.

Although this release is the seemingly 'happiest' so far ["Sky Route (Star Roof)" very much being rooted in darker post-punk tendencies and much more openly cathartic], the tones and the textures of their sound are still very sad. I would like to think, ideally, that this is a collaborative notion felt between all of the band members, but I can't help myself but to single out singer Michael Vidal. He seems to be telling the stories, he seems to be expressing the most frustration and solemn perspectives, and the rest of the band seems to be providing a more visceral and nondescript emotional quality (this is not to downplay their roles in any way).

This dynamic is what makes this band so interesting to me. There is a faked-happiness among all of their newer songs that draw you in. You want to dance, you want to move, the repetitive and beautiful harmonies attract you. However, in the middle of it all, there is the preservation of something painful and grotesque. There is some subject matter; ambiguous but existent; that remains as the nucleus for which the more accessible sounds surround and disguise. It creates a beautiful overall texture; something equally visceral and cerebral, a texture with balance and imbalance. Something simple, but containing deep substance on second glance.

I won't take the time to compare them to other bands or try to cite influences, and this is out of respect because I feel that this band is almost totally expressionistic. When a band relies this much of the emotional quality of their art, it is really a waste of time to pinpoint their subconscious influences or hero-bands. If you listen to their body of work, it becomes very clear that this music is therapeutic for them. They are growing, and their music is growing with them. All in all, I think this album is extremely worthwhile to check out for people from a wide range of interests. And I think for many different people, it's quite beautiful.