Media Review

Anathallo

Floating World (CD)

No Label
website | mySpace | pureVolume

Overall Rating:

9.0

Music Quality: 9.5

Production: 9.0

Originality: 10.0

A few months back, I witnessed an intensely moving group of musicians who called themselves Anathallo, in a small Elk's Club in Eastern Southern California. Surrounded by what we had termed "locals," the band found themselves playing after Chiodos, the undeniably aggressive and intense band on Equal Vision. Their set consisted of everything from a marching band's bass drum to using items that have likely never been used as conventional instruments such as links of chain and even the crowd holding small balloons the band would pop to create a rhythm.

The industry hype couldn't be ignored for Anathallo's first attempt at a full record of songs. The band has released an array of scattered EP's, all over a span of the last few years: one compiling 7 messy pop punk songs, one with some sparse covers of hymns, and a 3-song wonder EP that perhaps best dictated their sound and message.

"Floating World" arrived to me in a small parcel, with hand-written address labeling, and as I opened it I was more and more careful with removing the beautiful, delicately crafted album. To my amazement, the black cardboard sleeve was precisely cut in the exquisite designs you can notice on their images, overlaying the psychadelic colors underneath. I wasn't as suprised as I could've been--I know what Anathallo is about--always driving to do something different, unique, and their own. They even sent a special suprise which I found was a psychadelic bar of soap, hand-made by themselves. So how was this album I had built up to be nothing short of epic?

Immediate reactions to the disc draw comfortable comparisons to Sufjan Stevens' latest (Illinois) and at its best moments, this band combines great experimental sounds with agreeable melodies and chorusing. Plenty of female vocals and sparse crooning bring the disc to light, and the vibrant, resonating sounds that occur on this album are often incredibly enjoyable. Key tracks include "Hoodwink" or the brilliant "Hanasakajijii (four: a great wind, more ash)," in which the vocalists and band follow-suit to combine their unconventional style with accessible melodies. Everything from pianos to horns find their way to the surface on this disc, and hand-clapping and even drumstick-tapping all make the music on this disc supremely vibrant and at the same time, sparse and moody.

At moments, I found myself wishing most of the songs were as accessible as the aforementioned, but as the album began to sink its teeth into me, I felt myself in light of a mysterious album. Filled with tranquility, serenity, and delicacy, the album takes its listener on a compelling array of moods, consistently changing tempo and volume. The singer's voice is backed up by a slew of other singers as well as the album progresses, and while at moments the music might drag on to some, one can come to a grip of understanding when they witness the band's live act. Truly, to encompass all of the thoughts and passion this band carries on stage would be impossible on record, and needless to say there are moments when the CD quietly and nearly disintegrates--but the band always seems to pick itself up again.

Don't expect an album you'll be singing along with--and don't expect one to hit you in the face right away. Anathallo's mysteries are those for the patient. There's a reason this band is making waves and even opening for Dashboard Confessinonal--get your hands on one of these custom CD's while you still can and before they can't afford to make any more due to overwhelming demand. Anathallo are doing something genuinely different and unique with their sound--and needless to say, I love it.

reviewed by Andrew Martin