Euphone
Hashin' It Out
[Jade Tree]
Rating: 7.1
The name Euphone has a pleasant connotation. While not technically a word,
at least by dictionary standards, it's closely linked to the word "euphony."
For the "differently literate" among you, "euphony" means a sound or collection
of sounds crafted to please the ear. It implies pure, unfettered joy through
music, an uncommon melodic experience that rises above many others. Euphone,
then, would appear to resemble an instrument or mechanism responsible for
creating this type of euphony. That being said, Euphone still don't quite live
up to their namesake, but they're getting closer.
Chicago's Ryan Rapsys and Nick Macri are both multi-instrumentalists, but at
their hearts, they're simply drums and bass, both part of the former Heroic
Doses rhythm section, and masterful at their craft. Unfortunately, 1999's
The Calendar of Unlucky Days was a fairly drab record with minimal
instrumentation and little jazz-inflected post-rock variety. Luckily, with
the 13 new tracks on Hashin' It Out, Rapsys and Macri attempt to bring
more diversity to their sound, as well as more guest musicians than ever to
flesh it out. And it works; why, without the brilliant, all-star conga work
by Dan Bitney of Isotope 217 and Tortoise on "Do You Up," the record would
have surely failed!
Okay, I'll cut the sarcasm. In reality, the new formula does work to Euphone's
advantage. Hashin' It Out isn't a terribly cohesive record, and it does
drop in quality near the end, but its pleasures are substantial, common, and
fun enough to be commendable. When acting alone, there are more hits than
misses this time out, such as the laid-back opener, "Gyrations," featuring
electronically manipulated vocals and dreamy, effect-laden guitar and bass.
Despite their multi-instrumental capabilities, though, Euphone had the good
taste to give their guests some creative input, and it works strongly in the
album's favor.
The record's finest tracks were created with the help of Jeremy Jacobsen, a
member of 5ive Style and otherwise known as the Lonesome Organist. On "Press
On" and "Bad Ascending," easily two of the record's highlights, Rapsys and
Macri act as the skilled rhythm section, adding occasional keyboard
accompaniment while Jacobsen contributes complex guitar parts. It all comes
off effortlessly, and stands as the closest thing to euphony these guys have
created yet. The other two songs featuring Jacobsen don't quite match the
others, but they do succeed. "Where's the B?" is just over two minutes of pure
funk with Jacobsen's occasional angular guitar.
Without Jacobsen, Euphone seem to meander a bit more. The record's oddball
is "Newscast," a minute-long foray into the world of composing theme music
for your local TV news program. But tracks like "Nick is Ryan" seem to create
the result of effective spontaneity that many of the others on Hashin' It
Out strive for. And while the rest achieve varying degrees of success--
excepting "Confirmation of Suspicions," the aimlessly rambling five-minute
closer-- there's rarely another memorable melody or structure to be found.
Euphone have finally discovered that collaboration is the key to their success,
and Hashin' It Out is the proof. That's not to say that they aren't
talented on their own, but if Jeremy Jacobsen joined Euphone to create a
full-time trio, perhaps we could expect more cohesive results on their next
effort. Far be it from me to offer a band career advice, of course, but it
never hurts to mention it, right?
-Spencer Owen