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It’s always encouraging to me to hear bands attempting
to create music outside the normal fare heard on radio or
TV these days. It’s so easy to get caught up in that commercial
grind that we forget the strength of character and determination
required to create outside-the-box. And creating outside-the-box
is just what Fluttreffect are all about. Marking Time is the
second release for this Boston based quintet and it’s a striking
release. ***
The first time I put it on; I really wasn’t sure what
to make of it. At the time it didn’t really sound like anything
I could put my finger on, and then I realized that’s exactly
what they wanted. And then the more I played Marking Time
the more I came to appreciate the intricacies of what was
going on. Needless to say the underlying melodies were working
their magic on me as well. Part of crafting a unique sound
is seeing how one can mess with the traditional instrument
line-up and here Fluttreffect excel. What we have is Troy
Kidwell (electric guitar), Vessela Stoyanova (MIDI marimba),
Kara Trott (lead vocals), Valerie Thompson (electric cello)
and J. Marchionna (drums/percussion). The other part of the
equation is what you do with those instruments and here again
Fluttreffect put them to good use, sliding effortlessly from
a jazzy combo feel to cabaret to prog-metal to complex time-signature-bouncing
progressive rock. These guys use multiple genres to convey
the essence of their compositions. A fast segment slides into
a slow movement before you can blink. A quiet part easily
morphs into a loud passage within the same song and tempo,
creating the feel of musical-passage. A sequence will build
to a cacophonous state only to change to a melodic recurring
theme of the piece. ***
Fluttreffect’s Marking Time is one of those releases
that could easily capture the ears of radio programmers as
well as new fans simply because it is so unique. As a sophomore
release this get’s top marks. It’s a tough act to make music
that is both accessible and yet challenging and complex. Fluttreffect
score well on both counts. Marking Time is a great accomplishment.
***
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