Tunes Consumed: the Poutine Silver Platter

You wouldn’t think it to look at their faces (or feet, for that matter) but this bearded quartet grew out of the New York City scene, which is to say, they grew out of it in sheer hermitistic isolation. The kind of isolation that drove one man insane actually divided itself within these four as a prugative, fractalistic musical religion.

Actually, there’s a pretty funny story that goes along with that last bit. See, after their touted isolationist episode in the hey-days of not-long-before-2005, they sent along everything they had recorded to Michael Gira, the singular force behind Angels of Light, producer & founder of the Young God label.

Gira loved the material, and after a long, paternal chat with the group decided that their whimsical choice to dub their creation “AK-AK” (pronounced ack-ack) was in fact a “quasi-religious sonic worldview”. Oh Gira, you silly nilly, they didn’t mean it like that. I mean, they don’t dress up like weirdo cultists in their free time or anything.

I’ve just spent the last three days in the embrace of their latest creation: Love Is Simple, and all joking aside, it’s not unlike the feeling one might experience sobering up to a southern Evangelist sermon with a boisterous chorus of large colourful folk all hyped-up on Our Lord, Jesus Christ. That’s not a bad thing, either.

The album frenetically moves about between songs of warm-hearted American folk “Love, Love, Love (Everyone)” and epic, swelling sonic collages like “Ed Is A Portal,” then to folk: “Don’t Be Afraid, You’re Already Dead,” and quickly back again.

Ironically, the catchiest song on the album begins painfully with a random plucking of strings, then a repeated schizoid verse, and then pops the question that inevitably goes through your mind: “Hey, have you noticed? Everyone is crazy.” which then cues the chorus, catchy like an Irish bar song that’s hard to resist singing back, though it’s not long before once again the song succumbs to distraction and its energy flows toward something else.

Love Is Simple derails at so many points that it’s almost hard to keep pace, but the calming moments in between its noisy, zany antics afford you a chance to catch up just before the next track slams you back in your seat. I’ve always found Akron’s albums to be like a catharsis in that way, as they touch on so many moods and literally blister with feeling (thanks to Ryan Vanderhoof’s heedy vocals and the overall tense instrumentals).

After thinking about that for a moment, I decided to go back through their discography and bring together three of the most cathartic tracks they’ve produced, for your own times of need, and in increasing order of magnitude. These tracks will always hold a special place for me, both in heart, and iPod. Enjoy.

now, purge? (make it loud):
Akron/Family - Running, Returning (from self-titled, 2005)
Akron/Family - Ed Is A Portal (from Love Is Simple, 2007)
Akron/Family - Moment (from Akron/Family & Angels of Light split, 2005)

If ye’ be wantin’ to buy from the Akron/Family catalog, simply meander over to Young God Records for all your needs. Love Is Simple should be landin’ there in 3 days short of a month (9/10).

P.S., dig that cover art: