Originally posted on November 24, 2008
Barnacled is a seven-piece band that defies easy categorization. They certainly come out of an avant jazz perspective but there is something about them that reminds me of the progressive-jazz-rock bands of earlier eras—the Soft Machine for example.
Their November release Charles (ESP) has edgy compositions that are apt to madly zig and zag like those UFO citings from the ‘50s, It is their sheer unpredictability that pleases, but they obviously have worked to get where they are. There is a conceptual tightness seemingly belied by a looseness in performance, but under the surface they are one consistent musical entity. There doesn’t seem to be anything aimless in what they do. Each sound event takes place as an episode in the overall musical story. They intrigue as they spin out the yarn. If you like the outer fringes of rock and jazz, here’s one for you. Check out the www.espdisk.com site for more information or to order.
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