Fates, the first album by finger-tapping phenomenon Erik Mongrain, is spinning in the ALARM office this week.
Erik Mongrain
Fates (MVD)
Release: June 26, 2007
Drawing legitimate comparisons to the frenetic, acoustic style of Kaki King, Erik Mongrain‘s debut album is a delicate balance between melodic sensibility and technical proficiency. The Montreal native unleashes his finger- and lap-tapping prowess throughout the disc, which contains ten tracks of beautiful instrumentals.
Child Abuse
Child Abuse (Lovepump United)
Release: June 24, 2007
Maniacal Brooklyn outfit Child Abuse have their own debut full-length this week, but the results are significantly less soothing that the disc listed above. The group’s nine-song effort, which was recorded with Colin Marston (Dysrhythmia), teems with discordant noise riffs, soul-crushing screams, and synthesized mayhem.
Dub Trio
Cool Out and Coexist (ROIR)
Release: June 26, 2007
Anxiously waiting for the next studio effort from these masters of mixing dub with big rock riffs? Pick up Cool Out and Coexist, a live album that emphasizes the group’s ability to slay crowds with slabs of distortion. Though it lacks a rendition of “Not Alone” with Mike Patton, the rest of the “hits” are all present.
Dub Trio: Various Tracks
The Sound of Animals Fighting
Tiger and the Duke (Equal Vision)
Release: June 26, 2007
Plastering progressive melodies over a decidedly emo-rock style, The Sound of Animals Fighting sound torn – like a mongoose caught in the clutches of a cobra – between two genres. Regardless, fans of both should delight in Equal Vision‘s issuance of this out-of-print EP that boasts remastered versions of the original songs, remixes of material from Lover, the Lord Has Left Us…, and new artwork.
The Sound of Animals Fighting: “Act II: All is Ash or the Light Shining Through It”
Erik Mongrain photo credit: Gabriel Desbiens