The Post Nothing - The Post Nothing

​The Post Nothing

​The Post Nothing
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Matt Jensen
​

Daniel Masiel (guitar/vocals), Celeste M. Evans (percussion/harmonium/bass guitar/violin/vocals) and Rob Magill (bass guitar/woodwinds/vocals) play jangly guitar rock as if they have a proclivity for free jazz. The band The Post Nothing sounds like it could be the playing before Television and after Miles Davis at the now defunct CBGB’s.

Their self-titled debut The Post Nothing is a work three years in the making and has a very raw, live feel to it. Don’t get me wrong I like a raw recording in a Steve Albini vein but I would have liked to have heard a slight bump in recording. In particular more definition in the drums would have helped amplify the intensity of some of these songs. That being said it’s marginal compared to the songs themselves.

The band opens with “Real Estate.” They hit you with a dose of garage rock nostalgia but lucky get into Frank Zappa territory with a descending spirals of notes. The band is thinking outside the box and that's obvious to anyone who gives a damn about music.

“Post Nothing Theme” puts the jangle in jangly. It’s a jangly arguably beautiful mess of notes, with fuzz and wah pedal. Vocals aren't the band’s strongest element but they also almost never feel like the central element. I have ambivalent feelings about the vocals on “Justification” but did enjoy the music. 

“The Metal Gumby on the Moon (Who Nobody Remembers)” is really a departure from everything that came before as well as an indicator of what is to come. The eight-minute song is far more experimental and leans more heavily towards free jazz and that's not just because of the woodwinds but the unconventional playing style.

“Bee-Bop” feels like an extension of “The Metal Gumby on the Moon (Who Nobody Remembers).” “Involuntary Smile” starts off pretty and melodic but descends into a chaotic amalgamation of notes and noise. They close with “Logic” which is more of a whimper than a bang.

The band may want to consider giving up vocals entirely. I felt they were either innocuous or simply taking away from the music. Besides that arguable quibble I enjoyed The Post Nothing. Be forewarned this isn’t a pop album by any stretch of the imagination. The band explores a vast array of sonic possibilities most of which hit the mark.

official website

bandcamp

Tweet