The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis
Deface The Currency
**** out of *****
The Washington D.C. based jazz/punk outfit The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis continue to evolve with their sound, happily falling in-between genre cracks. Deface The Currency is the core band's second outing with Lewis as the quartet are more assured and propulsive than ever.
The Messthetics (Joe Lally - bass, Brendan Canty - drum, Anthony Pirog - guitar) and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis might seem an unlikely pairing, but they work incredibly well together. From their 2018 debut the band pushed and pulled with sound and the free jazz spirit of JBL's sax work adds that extra special something that seems to elevate all involved.
Opening with the title track, the upbeat energy is palpable with pumping low end, wailing sax and guitar all driving forward. The snaking solo from Pirog is sweet as the band kicks off a very strong record in expert style. "Gestations" starts with a slow groove from Lally and Canty which JBL and Pirog are free to experiment on top of, leading to full on spastic ending.
"30 Years of Knowing" is the smoothest this combination can get as the light groove and sweet horn stay away from their more experimental tendencies. Those arrive with "Universal Security" a rumbling/swirling affair that rises into chaotic noise cyclones while "Rules of The Game" is more rock focused with a bad ass groove that gets heads bopping.
The final two tracks are the two longest as "Clutch" and "Serpent Tongue (Slight Return)" let the band spread their wings. "Clutch" starts with a spacey intro before a heavy rock theme kicks in around a blissful horn as the tight tune has splashes of Frank Zappa flowing throughout. Closer "Serpent Tongue (Slight Return)" is a free jazz throw down as the quartet let loose the noise with a frantic sonic blast of dissonance.
While Lally and Canty have been locked in since their Fugazi days, on Deface The Currency Pirog and JBL have formed just as formidable a musical partnership and the overall collection of sounds is vibrant from start to finish.
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