Review Summary: Maserati > Strippers
Italian cars are generally known for their sophistication and luxury. There are many well respected car manufacturers in Italy: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romero and of course, Maserati. While Maserati may not be as widely revered as Ferrari or Lamborghini, they undeniably make excellent cars on par with either of the aforementioned manufacturers, not to mention they have been doing it for longer than both. The same can be said for the band of the same name. Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Maserati has been making music since 2000, but are one of the most overlooked bands in the crowded genre of post-rock. Anything with four wheels some doors and a combustion engine will be labeled as a motor vehicle, it is how the car is designed and performs that sets it different from the other cars. The genre of post-rock operates the same way; any band that removes vocals and uses their instruments in an atypical way will be labeled as post-rock, only after a band has been examined for their musical qualities does the post-rock tag get lifted for something more suitable. Grouping Maserati as post-rock is a fair judgment, but there is so much more to their music that sets them apart form their peers. The band’s third full length,
Inventions for the New Season shows a band that is not afraid to experiment and push boundaries, while still showing off their influences and own style.
The best way to look at Maserati’s music is to think about a really attractive stripper. A really attractive stripper will take her time and tease the gentleman watching, causing him to blow all his money before barely any clothing has been removed, therefore making one rich stripper who didn’t even have to show anything off. Maserati work in a similar fashion, except Maserati are nice guys,, not money grubbing strippers, so even after you’ve blown all your money on the tease, Maserati will throw you free show anyway. Take for example the opener, ‘Inventions.’ For five out of the nine and a half minutes Maserati lap dance around the listener’s landscape with a single delay drenched guitar wailing out a spacey riff, it isn’t until the drum and bass pop in to say hello that things kick off. What follows however is a completely danceable upbeat jam that makes the five minute tease more than worthwhile. Most of the longer songs will follow this general outline, starting off with ambient synth and delayed guitars pumping out a melody for a few minutes until the rhythm starts up and takes the song to new places. This predictable formula may sound boring, but in actuality it works so very well, it is the perfect balance between beautiful post-rock and rifftastic jamming. Not all the songs conform to this however. ‘Kalimera’, ‘Kalinichita’ and ‘This Is The Sight We Had One Day From a High Mountain’ provide ambient interludes of just a single guitar playing, bringing a brief pause in between the larger pieces on the album. Bass driven ‘Show Me The Season’ might recall a Pink Floyd song, while ’12:16’ takes the typical post-rock road and ends on a crushing climax of percussion and booming guitars. The band even decides to throw in bongos at the end of ‘Synchronicity IV,‘ proving that there is a lot of diversity to be found on
Inventions. The album ends on ‘The World Outside,’ a fast tempo drum based song comes and goes very quickly, however ‘Show Me The Season’ would have been the better suited closer for the album.
Inventions For The New Season is an excellent and innovative record in the post-rock realm. Jerry Fuchs of dance punk outfit !!! proves to be a great addition to the band, banging out loud beats in perfect time that always move the song along in whatever way he chooses. Both guitarists work well together to intertwine their spacey riffs, creating a signature sound for the band in the process. Bassist Chris McNeal is always locked in with the drums, laying down fat bass lines that move the rhythm right along. In terms of flaws, there is not much to say for
Inventions. Some of the songs may seem too long or repetitive at first, but each bar of music is there for a reason. Overall,
Inventions For The New Season will be a better investment than a stripper anytime, I guarantee it.
