Maxton Grainger |
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With two bassists set out to defy the natural simplicity of the four strings, a guitarist that plays with a possessed hand (the temptation arises here to spread a rumour that Chris Mack uses the dismembered hand from Evil Dead 2 which he purchased on eBay), and a drummer who somehow ties songs together by playing the opposite of anything you’d ever conceive, it’s fair to say that Maxton Grainger have a lot going on. Particularly considering this special edition 7” release from Kabukikore, with only four songs, and lasting under ten minutes somehow contains more riffs and twists than most complete albums.
By style, the sound doesn’t drift massively far from the feel of Eska or El Hombre Trajeado, two of the Scottish bands sharing members with Maxton Grainger. However, between the trading of riffs and a balance of open space, the results tend be more ‘chaos rock’ than ‘math rock’, at least from a listener perspective because the songs are simply bewildering at times. The old Stayfun favourite, ‘Missing Poussin’ is a glorious mix of Fugazi-style riffs tossed into the air and played wherever they land, but even so, isn’t the only crowning moment on display. Consistent throughout, the EP is one to get the brain ticking, as well as offer simple pleasures, and by the end of the ten minutes you should be feeling suitably rewarded.
Steven McCarron
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