If you've ever wondered why horror movies often feature carnivals, it's because there is something intrinsically cryptic about them. Experimental Dental School's new release "2 1/2 Creatures" helps to embellish upon this relationship by lining each and every one of their tracks with a hyperactive organ.
The EDS is an experimental indie trio from Oakland, Cali. that puts out a frazzled sound. Singer and guitarist Jesse Hall's vocals are produced the same way as Julian Casablanca's from The Strokes, which means he sounds like he's talking through a megaphone from a distance.
The Strokes and EDS put the same amount of aggression into their music, but "2 1/2 Creatures" is somewhat less palatable. One can assume that the inspiration for "Po!son Reverb" was inspired by a head-on merry-go-round collision, or a pipe organ stuck in a meat grinder.
It's unfortunate that most every experimental group feels compelled to shadow their vocals with distortion and feedback. "A Dirty Birdie Told Me" starts off deceivingly shy, until Hall covers himself in cacophony.
Tampering with unusual instruments can sometimes help to fill out a group's composition, but in EDS's case the organ's reappearance is intolerable. The only track capable of allowing the listener to recline is "2nd Wing," in which organist Shoko Horikawa gets the chance to gently lay down her voice.
EDS would undoubtedly be an enjoyably erratic opener, but it could be difficult to listen to an entire act because every track is fidgety and eerie. "Our Blood is Laughing" embodies the slapstick chaos of those sped-up cop chases from a black and white film made in the '20s. This sort of bustling composition becomes tiresome.
It's difficult for many artists to integrate eclectic influences and still manage a cohesive sound. EDS produces a mature and complicated sound, but they forgot about variation, as well as their Ritalin.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
