Feb 23 2009
The Torn ACLS: Cedar-By-the-Sea
The Torn ACLS + Cedar-By-the-Sea
OTO Rating: 8/10
Upon pulling away the plastic sheath and unveiling what came to be the latest creation of two young lads by the name of Will Cremin and Miles Ranisavljevic, one couldn’t help but be struck by the moniker bestowed upon this band. Images of athletes on crutches and long stints on the DL were conjured up, leaving me to wonder exactly what it was I had gotten myself into.
But as I placed the disc in its cradle and pressed the button called ‘play’, I was immediately taken away by a smattering of applause which right before my very ears was being slowly manipulated into a driving, percussive rhythm. An attention-grabbing intro that left me thinking, “wow…that was cool.” So, like with any good piece of art, I had no choice but to shed my apprehension, reach out my hand, and go along for the ride.
Let’s just say, I’m glad I did.
The EP/story begins with the track, “Reputation”, and it seems the hopelessly gambling addicted subject of this tune has finally reached the end of his troubled rope. His bookie has arrived to collect, and despite repeated attempts at stalling, the game is finally up. The call-and-response vocals drive this track, along with the stop-start drumming and a frenetic bass-line. The cheery glockenspiel notes ringing throughout masterfully taunt our subject, leading him to think things might, just might, be okay. Unfortunately, the antagonist here has a reputation to uphold.
Track two hits and……is that a Theremin I hear?? No, upon further research I discover its a saw being skillfully manipulated by Ranisavljevic to produce an atmosphere nothing less than, well, spooky. And when Cremin leans into the mic to implore, “if the nervousness doesn’t get you, I just don’t know what will”, many emotions arise, chief amongst them, paranoia.
The EP’s centerpiece, “Brother Twelve”, makes a statement right out of the gate with a pounding bass drum and a vocal narrative describing the history of a religious cult formed in the 1920’s in Washington state. It’s the detailed storytelling here that draws the listener in and the ‘loud-quiet-loud’ musical accompaniment that digs its claws in and keeps you put. “Obsessively, Compulsively” closes out the set, continuing right along with excellent song structure and just the right amount of something unexpected. Just when you’ve been lulled into a state of repose by an engaging Hammond line, a wall of jagged distortion reminds you that although the record has ended, the story has not.
The idea of a concept album is traditionally something only attempted on the sprawling canvas of a full-length LP. But in the case of ‘Cedar-By-the-Sea’, these boys have taken the phrase ‘less is more’ to heart. In doing so, they’ve created a piece of music that much like an addictive short story, is hard to put down.
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