Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra
Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything
Constellation Records
Street: 01.21
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra = Of Montreal + Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Sonic Youth
“We live on an island called Montreal, and we make a lot of noise because we love each other,” a small child announces at the start of album opener “Fuck Off Get Free (For the Island Of Montreal),” and it would seem to announce Montreal as an “island” of childlike abandon, noise as a sonic metaphor for freedom, as much as the city has been a symbol of the Quebec Independence Movement. This release from a band with often-revising lineups and altered band names is one of their most tuneful, even, dare I say, “rocking.” Their melodies may be repetitive, but they are hypnotic and draw you into their spell. “Austerity Blues” is the latest in a string of tunes that puts a leftist spin on political events. The influence of traditional musical genres like folk singing and avant-garde classical music has helped them mold their idiosyncratic musical identity into something that’s remarkably engaging. –Stakerized!