The OG of the animal name game, Rob Fisk's responsible for a label, Free Porcupine Society, and at least three bands-- Deerhoof, Badgerlore, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle-- that pay homage to whatever's wild in wilderness. Fisk has described his project as "eco-terrorist hobbit rock": Like elephants at the circus rising up against their trainers, or Wolf Eyes, it's the kind of outdoors where the primary export isn't flowers.
Ache Hornes, the newest from Fisk and his wife Kelly Goode-- 7YRC's guitar'n'vocals core-- adds Zorn-Cline-Bungle collaborator Ches Smith (on drums) and Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart (vocals, guitar), to jazz up the bare family improv. The quartet moves from minimalism, in its Warren Burt tuning fork/xylophone sections, to startlingly conventional rock elements as tight and spare as Slint or Hoover.
"Wren" showcases Goode's Kimya Dawson sour-sweet vocals, marching from dubbed out and minimal bass and drum into jokes courtesy of Shel Silverstein-- "Now I see that you don't care, don't care, don't care." "This Makes Me a Barn Burner" is a tiny harmonic explosion that breaks the deadpan, while songs like "Untitled" and "Magic Yam Part 2" bounce on single trebly notes, pausing to stop, take stock, and start again. The pacing's immaculate and glacial-- the track breaks often signal a change only in the song's title, not its progression-- as the music flowers into something bigger.
Tracks like "4321" take Slint's willingness to bleed simple progressions dry, circling around similar sounds for 10 minutes and more. 7YRC, like Badgerlore, give the vibe of existing in a space where the rules are theirs: Time goes at their speed, sounds blend where they desire them, and there's more than a hint of escapism chasing their quiet guitar calls and sparse free-jazz drumming. Ache Hornes repeats itself constantly, without resolution, or even much catharsis. Fisk's restraint is almost complete and, like his songs, verging on self-parody. Now that Deerhoof's down a member, maybe he could get back with them and let the demons out again?
