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By: Brian Gearing
Like its title, ILAD's Here/There is the musical equivalent of a stem cell: On their third album, the Richmond, VA foursome seem capable of becoming several things. At times, the potential is as compelling as what is already apparent, but for the moment, ILAD simply are what they are, and evolution is more fun than stagnation anyway.
"Black Gold" is mountain blues that pushes and pulls like a jamband oldie but goodie, but it pounds and shreds rather than noodles and vamps. "Mexico" foregoes clichés of dusty Tijuana tequila bottles and rice and beans hangovers for trippy gringo shamanism, and despite the skipping guitar groove of "Conservation," IlAD are more psychedelic college radio than sophomore sorority hippie. "Magazine" is offbeat avant-jazz, and the best of the album takes it all in on the haunting "Everyone Hurts Everyone" and the '70s FM radio ethereality of "Extraordinary Machine."
"Lou Dobbs," the album's single glaring blot, dribbles overly earnest anti-war truisms and bad poetry over a wasted musical call-to-arms. Also, the vocals could be stronger on several tracks, but the spoken/sung lyrics mostly fit well with the thick fog that covers most of the record. The hypnotizing "Wish for a Flood" and "Everybody" weave the multi-rhythmic, melodic threads of Tortoise and Pink Floyd into a yarn that speaks for itself while awaiting its own becoming. Whether Here/There is life or not may be an argument better suited to politics: it is where - and what - it is, and that's a good record from a band that seems capable of becoming everything it could be.
JamBase | Splitting Cells
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