CCXMDII
Nefarious, 2021
9/10
The New York duo of Cinema Cinema, i.e. Ev Gold and Paul Claro, are in the company of Matt Darriau, who brings his winds, loops and vocal prowess to this 6th full length that again is full of experimental and art-influenced sounds that few could replicate.
“A Life Of Its Own” starts the listen with 18 minutes of calm flute, sparse drums and bare guitar as the languid opener enters dreamy, even meditative territory, and “Cloud 2” follows with a much more brief display of spacey, prog-friendly sounds that echo and quiver playfully.
In the middle, “Continued” enters darker waters, as strategic clarinet and shorts bursts of jagged guitar make a strong impression, while “Bratislava” spend 9 minutes meshing riffs with grooves in the stylish jazz climate.
“Trigger” lands near the end, and recruits a subtle bounce that bops amid playful rhythm and some charming squeal, and “Cloud 4” finishes the listen with a sublime intimacy, where gentle musicianship and a nearly spiritual landscape unfolds with incredible precision.
CCXMDII was born out of the same sessions as their last album, CCXMD, and Darriau brings his skill and experience from his band The Klezmatics into this punk-jazz, post-rock and abstract adventure that further cements Cinema Cinema as one of the most exciting bands that exists today.
Travels well with: New Standards Men- I Was A Starship; String Noise- Alien Stories