I just read in Time magazine today that scientists have essentially found a way to predict what the end of the universe will look like. Okay, so this particular issue of Time was several months old, but the study of the universe, how it formed, and how it may end has always fascinated me. Anyway, it seems that physicists and astronomers are settling on a theory that basically suggests that the universe will keep expanding until it reaches total entropy, dying with a mere whimper in the near-infinite future, with even base subatomic elements separated by light years of cold, still void.

There's really no need for us to worry about this, of course, as the universe's coming degenerate period will only bring T.S. Eliot's predictions to life after the passage of trillions upon trillions of years-- long after our own blue planet is consumed by our expanding sun. As terrifying and incomprehensible as the thought of our universe destroying itself through infinite expansion may sound, I can't help but think that'd I'd like to be there when it happens, so that I might get to see what it looks like, or perhaps what it sounds like.

Obviously, we'll never know what sights and sounds await the end of the universe, but as far as finite, timely considerations go, I think Pinetop Seven may be just the band to soundtrack the coming of entropy. A year ago-- even a month ago-- I never would have thought that, but Lest We Forget, a mail order- and tour-only compilation of unreleased Pinetop Seven material, suggests otherwise.

Lest We Forget contains five unreleased gems from the songbook of Pinetop leader Darren Richard, a remix of "Mission District" from last year's astounding Bringing Home the Last Great Strike, and over half an hour of excerpts from a live, improvised performance that constituted the soundtrack for the silent film The Wind. It's these improvised pieces that conjure for me images of the very fabric of the universe flying apart and reconstituting in unimaginable ways.

For the live soundtrack sessions, Richard tapped Chicago-based percussion wizards Glenn Kotche (Boxhead Ensemble, Simon Joyner) and Gerald Dowd, violinist Jessica Billey, and vibist Jason Adiesciewisz. The five musicians carry on a meditative dialogue that's remarkably evocative-- you usually find yourself getting an image and then looking at the track listing only to find that the image you visualized is suggested by the title. "Norther!/ Storm Subsides" is perhaps the best example of this, with Kotche and Dowd whipping up a massive whirlwind over the subtle textures provided by the other three musicians. It's free music at its finest, capturing a specific feeling and conferring it upon the listener.

This gives way to the pensive holding pattern of "Horse in the Sky," which is ultimately relieved by the compilation's closing track, "Burial Scene," which is dominated by Richard's spare piano lines conjuring Chopin at his most despondent. This performance sits surprisingly well next to the first six tracks, all of which constitute proper songs ranging from 1998 to 2001 and recorded at the band's Chicago loft space.

You know a band is really great when you're totally entranced 15 seconds into the first track on their odds-and-sods, tour-only collection of outtakes and live recordings. The unreleased demo "Mosquitoes" opens with a percussion loop before piling on vibes and guitar. Richard croons through the verses before layering his buoyant tenor in lush harmonies on the chorus. Melissa Bach's cello-- the only instrument not played by Richard on the song-- swoons sonorously on the bridge, lending a dark underpinning to Richard's stunning falsetto harmonies.

Darren Richard is completely alone on the other demo included here, the gorgeous "Cradlesong." It's almost unbelievable that one man recorded this by himself, as all of the instruments are impeccably played, including a deftly interwoven guitar loop. Richard even goes out of his way to vary his tone on the backing vocals in order to make it sound like multiple people singing backup. The structured instrumental, "Some Ritual Business at the Lake," from the sessions for Bringing Home the Last Great Strike, also features Richard solo, throwing down some impressive slide guitar.

Richard is joined by frequent collaborators Ryan Hembrey and Charles Kim on "Left in a Room for Days" and "Devoted Won't Do," both culled from the sessions for Rigging the Toplights, the band's sophomore album. "Left in a Room for Days," had it been included, would have been a highlight on an album full of highlights, with its descending chord sequence and wailing slide guitar. I've often heard critics desperately try to label Pinetop Seven's music as insurgent country, but it's songs like this that confound even the most adept categorizers.

Finally, Mactra's remix of "Mission District" largely preserves the original's structure, preferring instead to toy with each component of the arrangement, vacuum-packing the bass and sucking the vocals into an echo chamber. Not usually being one who digs remixes, I tend to look for a certain moment where the remix takes the original and makes a truly inspired addition, which is just what Mactra does in the last verse, adding wild percussive loops for a propulsive climax.

Lest We Forget portrays Darren Richard as the central force in a very versatile collective that draws freely from the communal Chicago scene. Richard himself emphasizes that this is a demo-quality release intended for fans only, but it seems as though he's just being modest, as there's only one moment on the entire disc-- the hissy intro to "Cradlesong"-- that sounds underproduced. The fact that something so utterly worth having is unavailable in stores is a shame. Any extra effort needed to obtain this collection is well worth it, as the rewards contained within are enough to repay any expenditure, and ease your nerves about your place in a doomed universe.

-Joe Tangari