June of 44: Anahata

Initially, there's more "What?!?" than "Wow!" Despite their sexy names, the album's openers, "Wear Two Eyes (Boom)" and "Escape of the Levitational Trapeze Artist" are too laden with limpid vocals, too "experimental" in the worst sense of the word.

But with "Cardiac Atlas," Anahata departs into increasingly delectable territory, hinting at an explication of the album's title (the chakra point directly above the heart). The next song, "Equators to Bi-Polar," puts June of 44's chops on display, and each member gets to showcase his skill. The song sports an insistent, utterly beautiful melodic interplay between guitarists Jeff Mueller and Sean Meadows. Fred Erskine's trumpet playing haunts and dizzies, and Doug Scharin lays some exquisite beats beneath it all.

The pared-down bass and drums in "Recorded Syntax" don't plod, as they do earlier on Anahata, but underscore slowly unfolding guitars and some of the most intriguing vocal techniques on the record. Then comes "Five Bucks in My Pocket" with its funky bass, guitar that imitates an elongated alarm-clock beep and meditation on the drudgery of wasted time. If you've ever worked a hair-yankingly boring minimum-wage job, you'll understand lines like, "I had a dream I always have, $5 in my pocket,/endless packs of cigarettes and a lifetime pass,/for crosstown traffic."

The last song, "Peel Away Velleity," is June of 44 meets Hair. The result is a sprawling, dreamy soundscape reminiscent of Sonic Youth. Somehow, in this context, lyrics like "This world peel away love!/This world peel away space!/This time peel away chance!" work to magnificent effect.

Though it's not an especially good introduction to the band, Anahata is worthwhile for longtime fans. At the very end of "Peel Away," you can briefly hear the band members talking, almost inaudibly, about instrument tuning and other technicalities. Parts of this album are like that: a conversation between band members, unintelligible to the eavesdropper. At its best, Anahata constructs a new galleon, laden with precious cargo both old and new. Now June of 44 sets sail to fresh waters. (Quarterstick)

—Bidisha Banerjee

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