It's been five years since we last heard from Washington, D.C.'s Medications. Devin Ocampo and Chad Molter formed the band from the ashes of Faraquet, and on the group's debut EP and first LP, there was a clear tension between the knotty, agile post-punk of their former group and a more pop-informed tendency. Five years later, drummer Andrew Becker has moved on, and that more melodic side of the band has won out. Perhaps having to cover the drums as well as the guitar and bass put the remaining duo in a more studio-oriented frame of mind, but whatever the reason, there's more layering here, and a much greater focus on tunes, resulting in the band's best album.
One of the keys to the album's success is that Ocampo and Molter haven't abandoned the tricky meter changes, angular riffs, and sharp musicianship that have always been their trademark. They've merely subjugated those elements of their style to catchy songs that move the band further toward the indie rock mainstream. When a wild flurry of guitar lurches out from behind the vocals on "Home Is Where We Are", the tangle of notes is no longer an end in itself-- it's an exclamation point that punches home a key turn of phrase in the melody. "Seasons" rivals their last album opener "Surprise!" for the best thing the band's ever done, as Ocampo and Molter trade off vocals as the guitars slash and chime. In short, it's a rush, and the surprising "doot doot" backing harmonies are a welcome dash of sugar to complement the spice of the guitars.
For an album recorded as dry and straight as this one, it can be oddly psychedelic. Instrumental "Kilometers and Smiles" gives the band a chance to scratch its prog itch, and the way the heavy fuzz guitar interacts with the wordless vocal harmonies creates a trippy atmosphere. Parts sound like Black Sabbath or King Crimson, parts sound like George Harrison or Roy Harper.
In other places, dabs of sax and clarinet accomplish a similar effect, helping to bring the gentle, partly acoustic arrangement of the album's quiet centerpiece, "Brasil '07", to life. The song bears hallmarks of its namesake country, expanding the band's musical vocabulary a great deal. Between the expanded palette and the consistently punchy songs, Completely Removed is an impressive return for Medications. The band's sound has evolved into one that should appeal to those who never went for the tangle of Faraquet or the band's earlier tendency to split the difference between songcraft and instrumental fireworks.
