• Rating:
Sentries is a one-man-band project by Kim Elliot, who, all by himself, manages to create a lively and at times explosive atmosphere, highlighting a multiple sonic and adventurous personality.
The guy takes us by the hand through a wild and densely noisy journey, immersing us in a swirl of sounds and styles far apart from each other.
But everything sounds fresh and unexpectedly homogeneous and full-bodied.
Track traces from the past survive, such as the noisy and aggressive singles like Charmed Houses and I Can, and I Will. Sentries offer a much more dynamic range of sounds that develop a truly distinctive sound.
The destructive noise rock of the previous record and all the noisier parts are realized by smoothing the sharp edges with more catchy riffs, with a continuous succession of striking sound twists and adrenaline-pumping bursts.
Every second of this work is tasty and fun. Red Eye Removal is the piece that struck me the most, for its splendid acoustic setting and a very catchy bass riff that I am sure will stick in the head all day long.
Even a slow and introspective piece like I saw Someone die in Sudbury on, shines with growing light.
The fields of modern art rock are explored, without forgetting the bright and atonal side of the past.
The arrangements have become much richer: a rickety and dissonant piano as if it came straight out of avant-jazz, a prog organ, an industrial groove, an acoustic matrix, spoken word, post-punk, and many other surprises that intertwine organically with each other, magically mixed.
The common problem of one-man bands is that sometimes they love to overdo it with the self-satisfaction of “I do it all myself I don't need anyone.”
Here, for me, there is no such problem.
Everything is in its place, everything is clear, tasty, and exciting.
The somewhat monotone voice could be more expressive, but otherwise, I can't find any flaws.
It's hard to believe that it was conceived and played by just one person, given the rich and varied multitrack sound.
An abrasive work, with pop moments, of undeniable personality.
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