Chapel Hill, NC's The White Octave boast the guitar and gut-level vocals of Stephen Pederson from Cursive, and the production mastery of Bob Weston for Style No. 6312. It is with no small amount of indignant passion and depression initiated anger that they back up their unspoken boasts – building songs that intentionally feed you and leave you wanting, crafting angular melodies that break into dissonant marches, and posturing perfectly timed moments of progression realization – climaxes that come not a moment too soon or too late, despite a seeming spontaneity and contrived orneriness.
"Devise Executes" in particular showcases their familiarity with adept post-modern songwriting. A morose introductory build up moves to another plane of pounding jangle, which in turn moves to yet another plane of jangling, wrenching, caustic chorus– "So you say that it's just like a lie that turns true / you don't see that I am so uninspired by you."
"Etc" is 55-seconds of manipulated distortion over an accelerating drum roll. "Call the Kiss" begins with a meandering Pedro riff, and continues to wander through lines like "space, the emptiness I cannot swallow" – all the while building to soaring, repressed choruses that themselves are just more steps along the narrow path to a truly powerful climax. It even tricks you, makes you feel used and thrown out like a drunk freshman, given no satisfaction, as the song seemingly drifts out into obscurity; only to reenter majestically like a true lover awoken to please.
The White Octave really are that much like sexual tension. Their songs are memorable encounters of morning and afternoon quickies, and long nights of blissful connection, with all of the genuine trappings of foreplay, tease, and carnal, ethereal consummation. Isn't it odd how thin the line between love and hate, or creativity and depression, or sex and frustration, truly is?
Similar sounding releases
1997Puller / Roadside MonumentPuller/Roadside Monument
2004The Shivering& Brand the Ground With Storm and Song
1999The Appleseed Cast / Planes Mistaken For Stars / Race Car RiotThe Appleseed Cast | Planes Mistaken For Stars | Race Car Riot
2005The SixfifteensFeature, Conference, Transfer
2004NirvanaWith the Lights Out
1996The BonhoeffersThanks to Jen
