Coptic Light are a post-rock supergroup whose self-titled debut swells with fluid improvisational riffs and dizzying rhythms. Previously appearing in Don Caballero, Storm and Stress, and Antioch Arrow, the three members of Coptic Light have built careers on blending noisy, off-the-cuff bursts with jazz-inspired noodling. The three songs that make up this release run almost 45 minutes as they swirl from penetrating, stream-of-conscience hyperactivity to dark, ambient droning.
"Mix the Races", the first track, is the most manic. Kevin Shea's rapid-fire snare drumming is incessant, and the guitar and bass interplay and overlap in degrees varying from perfect harmony to stark contrast. Due to the improvisational aspect, it's often difficult to keep track of what's going on. The track doesn't follow traditional song structures, as there are no noticeable transitions between parts. In fact, the band only lets up once here when, for about a minute, the drums fall away and guitarist Jon Fine drops precise, haunting notes. But before long, it erupts again, and one moment bleeds into the next, creating a dense yet incredibly spastic fabric of bubbling noise.
Things change considerably for "The Horse", where the first half of the song is built on panning guitar drones and dark, tribal drumming. Things slowly build as the drumming gets more aggressive and more guitar notes begin to split the warble of the bass, but it never reaches the chaotic heights of the previous track. The drums slide seamlessly into "Eat It High School", the strongest, and at 19 minutes, the longest, of these three tracks. The most melodic of the bunch, "Eat It High School" blends the better aspects of the first two tracks. There's still plenty of convoluted snare-and-cymbal crashing and over-the-top guitar work, but mixed in is a sense that the band is syncing up a little closer than before.
For many listeners, the band members' individual talents will be their ultimate undoing. At times, the three musicians seem so lost in showing off their skills that they are hardly functioning as a unit. This is the case on the album opener more than the other two, which is unfortunate for the sequencing of the album. It's these moments where the music tends to become less engaging and more akin to noise rock. But when they hit their stride together, the sound that emerges is a bizarre yet satisfying blend of precision and chaos.
