Gregor Samsa
55:12

THE REVIEW

“The Metamorphosis” by Kafka begins like this: "One morning, upon awakening from restless dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself transformed into a gigantic insect."

What the Gregors Samsa have in common with Kafka's traveling salesman, I do not know, if not the impossibility of being normal, of being so different from others. Perhaps this is it: the quartet in question is decidedly different from the majority of musical groups (they have also recorded a “White Christmas”), even more so if you know their place of origin which is Richmond, Virginia, because their type of music is what you would expect from a band coming from the great north.

Preceded by the release of two splendid EPs in 2002 and 2003, "55:12" is their debut album released this year and the result is extraordinary. We are in the “post rock” realm, reminiscent of Mogwai and Sigur Ros, but even more expanded, ethereal, rarefied, managing to generate an overwhelming sense of relaxation, yet without creating any boredom or fatigue. Certainly a joy for the ears, penetrated not only by sumptuous melodies and bursts of refined power, but also by the ethereal double vocals (male and female) of Nikki King and Champ Bennet, who seek and manage to merge with the music in a perfect amalgam, in environments sometimes clear and full of light, sometimes dark and gloomy.

Let’s be clear, Gregor Samsa does not offer us new experiments or a new musical genre, what strikes in this album is the perfect distillation of the elements that make up the 8 tracks of "55:12", transporting us to “echoes-like” areas and making everything magnetic. Their sound is for a more intense space and this intensity can also generate a slight sense of fear in the ambient track "We'll Lean That Way Forever", but the beauty of this album can also be found in the exceedingly slowed down drums of "These Points Balance", in the strings of "Young And Old", in the extreme sweetness of "What I Can Manage", in the obsessiveness of "Even Numbers", in the crystalline transparency of "Lessening".

A formidable debut. A CD for those who demand something more from listening, for those who love to listen to deconstructed, suffering, obsessive tracks. For those who want to dream and travel while remaining still. Regards, Addison.