Aerialuxe - "Silencing the Sound of Reason"

Album review by Mark Cuthbertson

Anyone wishing to understand space rock need look no further than this album. The turbulent liftoffs, echoing signals, distant, approaching, and fading textures, and zero gravity meanderings heard on "Silencing the Sound of Reason" will subdue, energize, sweep away, and beam the listener back to reality.

Janette Salisbury's silky-smooth melodies weave over and through layers of echo/delay/reverb-laden guitar, bass, analog synth textures, bright, tangy cymbals, and a drum set dull enough to have been recorded through a wall, at least during the normal and better moments of the seven tracks. However, her vengeful, authoritarian rants (as on "Pins and Needles") come off as merely bratty in tone and are an unwelcome departure from the group's musical strength -- developing flowing, percolating, dynamic, moody, melodious tapestries. She utilizes a respectable range of emotions, volumes, and notes throughout the album and manages to tie the smorgasbord of echoing noises into recognizable, melodic music. Her voice has a darker tone which is eerie in some of the harmonies and most appropriate for the songs on this album.

Ferris Lucas's drums and Salisbury's vocals are the most prominent sounds and remain "up-front" in the mix. Surrounding them are the most distinguishing sounds of Aerialuxe, though -- David Gaume's soaked-with-effect-signals guitar textures and riffs, Brian Quinn's supportive, pillowy bass foundation, and Thomas Kehr's synth and tenor bass parts. The result is an electric orchestra of fluffy, echoing tones accented by varying amounts of thick, distorted white noise.

Despite the other-worldly sounds of Aerialuxe, the lyrical themes remain grounded in Earthly humanity. Temptation, revenge, love, submission, betrayal, loneliness, and denial are just a few mentioned or deeply developed in the seven songs on "Silencing." The topics are developed in ways which are familiar and relevant to others, yet not heavily cliched or tired. The imagery in "Inches from the Shore" is especially vivid and effective. Take this to your leaders, Earthlings.

--Mark Cuthbertson

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