Review: Cul de Sac

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Cul de Sac
“Death of the Sun”
(Strange Attractors Audio House)

The title of “Death of the Sun” suggests the dusk that is but a rebirth of a new day. The album is also a somewhat new direction for the group as Jake Trussell joins in the creation of this album lending his talents in digital sampling and sequencing. The intent of the band is to merge fully with their music the sampled sounds. This succeeds wonderfully; giving us a gently delivered experimental rock nestled in a rocking cradle of looped samples.

For instance, the opening track is built on a small piece of a 1933 78 recording of The Comedian Harmonists but is such an interwoven thread to the group’s playing that this is nothing like a rock band lumbering along with a skipping shellac platter. This is an amazing if tranquil record that is the result of three years of sophisticated experimentation with sampling held to a high aesthetic standard.