ARTiST: Six Parts Seven
TiTLE: Casually Smashed To Pieces
LABEL: Suicide Squeeze Records
GENRE: Indie
TiME: 31:32 min
SiZE: 43,10 MB
BiTRATE: VBRkbps
RiP DATE: Nov-18-2006
RELEASE DATE: Jan-23-2007
WEBSiTE: n/a
Track List:
01. Conversation Heart 01:16
02. Stolen Moments 03:33
03. Knock At My Door 06:07
04. Falling Over Evening 05:08
05. Awaiting Elemental Meltdown 04:21
06. Confusing Possibilities 07:10
07. Night Behind The Stars 01:16
08. Everything Wrong Is Right Again 02:41
Release Notes:
The previous rip has been nuked so here's the
proper. Enjoy!
First off: Don't let the Viking scare you, he only
wants to shake your hand.
However, maybe you should be slightly afraid of the
contents embedded on the disc lurking beneath our
Nordic friend. See, Casually Smashed To Pieces isn't
your typical "album." No, Kent, Ohio's Six Parts
Seven haven't so much redefined their sound as
they've transcended it here, bringing in new sonic
elements, textures and feelings to weave a tapestry
as sprawling as the Himalayas. In other words,
forget what you think the disc sounds like -
because, chances are, you're wrong.
"The thing about Six Parts Seven is we're fans of
music rather than musicians first," explains
guitarist/bassist/arranger Allen Karpinski, who -
alongside his drumming brother Jay Karpinski,
guitarist Tim Gerak and bass guitarist Mike Tolan -
makes up the musical core of 6P7. "None of us are
trained or anything like that; this band has always
been a work in progress and over time we've just
gotten better at assimilating all the things we love
into the music." Abstractly drawing from mid-90's
Touch and Go Records roster, the band have
thoroughly recontextualized their influences to
create something wholly unique with Casually Smashed
To Pieces.
While the latest disc formidably features trumpet
and clarinet, fans will also recognize it as a
return to form to the band's early days as a duo in
many ways. "I think a lot of instrumental albums and
songs are overly long," Allen admits. "I don't see
any point in recording a 68 minute album at this
point." In fact, Casually Smashed To Pieces is the
band's shortest disc to date, clocking in at just
the length of a sitcom (including commercials). "You
can listen to the whole thing without being
exhausted - and hopefully it'll leave the listener
wanting more."
However, none of these details would matter if not
for what was actually encoded on the disc. Like the
soundtrack to a heartbreaking film that never
existed, the songs on Casually Smashed To Pieces are
simultaneously beautiful and completely
unpredictable. "Knock At My Door" features gorgeous
guitar chords, layered arrangements and a twangy
undercurrent; "Confusing Possibilities" features
dueling melodic lines, shifting dynamics and
sub-bass tones that transport the band's music into
uncharted frequencies; and "Stolen Moments"
showcases the singing horns, unorthodox chord
voicing and crescendos so gradual you'll wonder how
you got from point A to point B.
Let's be honest though, instead of mapping out each
track for you, you're probably best off putting the
disc in your CD player and hearing it for yourself.
Because like all great music, there's an element to
Casually Smashed To Pieces that can't be conveyed
via adjective or analogy. "Our music should be
enjoyed , it shouldn't be intellectualized," Allen
summarizes more succinctly than this writer ever
could. "It can be, I guess, but it should be enjoyed
first. Music should just be enjoyed."
So sit back, enjoy and maybe give the Viking a
high-five. Just try not to overanalyze anything in
the process.