Reviews: Akron/Family / Cryptacize

Akron/Family - "River"

Often all-over-the-place, like a distant cousin of Animal Collective, Akron/Family weave an explosive rock style wrapped in mysticism, tribal exertions, propulsive polyrhythms, tasty garnishes from any decade of rock, brash brass, soft strings, and that Talking Heads-feeling tight, snaky style as an American art/rock observance of world music intrigue. "Everyone is Guilty" has funk meeting disco, smattered over tribal rhythms, swathing in Harrison-via-Abbey-Road-style guitar riff waterfalls and poignant string stabs – which morphs into soft shimmering Caribbean/jungle-pop on "River" that sends Vampire Weekend back to school.

Set apart from the spookier enchantments and slightly-alienating drum circle existentialism-meets-Buddhism of 07’s Love Is Simple, this yera's Set Em Wild, Set Em Free is a more palatable, rewarding, strong-front-to-back listen, glowing and gushing with rich vibrant styles and flavors from all instrumental points, voice, drum, guitar…heart, mind, life. World music – meets folk delicacy – meets the fried flared experimental swagger of our contempo-indie-rock style, in such a stately presentation and still maintaining that earth/communal/sanctimonious vibe distinct to Akron/Family’s style.

(words: milo)

Cryptacize - "Blue Tears"

Oakland/CA- based trio (recently quartet) expands upon the jittery, knotty sparse rock forged on their 07 debut, Dig That Treasure, juxtaposing running, marching percussion with melancholy ballads and strangled guitar flares. Not so much pop, or indie or even rock – singer Nedelle Torrissi morphs her usually soft cutesy cross-legged folk style into a starry eyed Broadway-stage-traipse full of longing and a steady hardening; guitarist Chris Cohen (the spindly once-key-component to Deerhoof) brings his skirled tones and surfy reverb like a leashed beast that he perfectly tames to soft accompanying jangles that let loose into shredded crescendos; while drummer Michael Carreira's sounds like he’s playing a completely different song under the often delicate vocal melodies, offsetting them with spastic patters that urge ever-forward, yet preternaturally, these seemingly conflicting energies coalesce into something that feels right, makes sense. It’s that baffling effect for the listener that makes Cryptacize so appealing.

(words: milo)