Concentrick : Aluminum Lake
It’s extremely uncommon that the evil twin is introduced earlier in the plot than the good one. With the likes of Star Trek, Superman, and even Jeannie, the sympathetic protagonist is developed well before the audience has a chance to become acquainted with his or her malicious, and sometimes goatee sporting, counterpart. In the case of Tim Green, however, it is that soul-patch wearing badass who was first thrust upon listeners in his riff-roaring metal band The Fucking Champs. Several years later, however, we are introduced to mild-mannered Concentrick, a largely atmosphere driven project, walking the line between ambient and art-rock, borrowing elements from krautrock while occasionally firing up the distortion pedal for a moment of heroic rock `n’ roll glory. And it is in these heavier riffs and these chunky power chords in which we begin to see the resemblance between these two musical siblings, though one is decidedly more meditative than the other.
On fourth album Aluminum Lake, Green is most frequently in a spirited, yet serene mood, several songs even bearing names of phenomena in the natural world—”Waterfall,” “Aluminum Lake,” “Divine Wind.” In fact, “Waterfall” even has a sort of fluid, trickling quality about it, opening up the album with a pretty, ambient exercise, carving a path for the hypnotic acoustic rock of the title track, bassy and metallic, yet bearing none of the noisy riffs of its ill-mannered brother. Rather, that comes with track three, the appropriately titled “White Bear.” The track has all the ferocity of a polar giant, but remains a patient and circular track, riffs building and building, allowing plenty of time for that long-awaited climax to arrive, and when it does, there is more than a passing resemblance to The Fucking Champs’ instru-metal.
As Concentrick utilizes such a broad palette, the following track “Transillumination” is miles away from the mighty mass of guitars that preceded it. Rather, it’s a pretty psychedelic meditation, mostly acoustic, but the similarities begin to stand out soon enough. Over time, riffs build and build, patterns form, an entire tapestry enveloping the sonic spectrum. And sure enough, Green turns on the distortion deep into the song, though ultimately keeps his composition melodic rather than brutish, harmonized solos swirling concentric(k)ally.
Concentrick may play Abel to Fucking Champs’ Cain, but its sound is powerful enough to save itself from an impending slaying. One thing is clear though—these two are definitely related. Evil twins or not, Tim Green must be one proud papa.
Similar Albums:
Fucking Champs – VI
Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Trans Am – The Red Line
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