"Orcutt begins to stutter, start, and stop only 40 seconds into "An L.A. Funeral," his wild leaps between notes prompting Miller and Shelley to shift their approach and give him more space. "Wedding" is a gentle little drift for nearly two minutes, but, when Orcutt suddenly grabs a note and squeezes it like he's trying to strangle the truth from its squeal, Miller and Orcutt shift again, their linear rhythm becoming a circle, a pas de deux as they wait for their third to work through his rage."
"Time and again in these five tracks, it sounds as if Orcutt has reached the end of potential variations for whatever theme he's playing, like an outlaw outrunning the cops only to reach the edge of a towering cliff. But he finds unexpected ways to extend the thought, with Miller and Shelley always maneuvering to give him room to do so."
"Toward the end of the spring-loaded and jubilant "Unsafe at Any Speed," for instance, the notes are so short, sharp, and fast that it seems like Orcutt will simply run out of stamina and space, a machine frying its own circuits. So he grabs one note, repeats it, and lets the band swing around him until they dive back into the theme together one last time."
Orcutt frequently erupts into sudden stutters, starts, and stops that force Miller and Shelley to alter their approaches and create space. Moments of gentle drift snap into intense expression when Orcutt seizes and distorts single notes, prompting rhythmic shifts and a circular interplay between players. The trio repeatedly approaches thematic limits, then finds unexpected continuations through strategic repetition and collective maneuvering. Accelerations threaten collapse but resolve as bandmates quicken or surround a held note, producing relief and catharsis. Live textures blend precise control with mayhem, converting tension into communal release and heightened group interplay.
Read at Pitchfork
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