Friday, February 27, 2009

Motorik Review in METRO SPIRIT


http://metrospirit.com/index.php?cat=1993101070394080&ShowArticle_ID=11012502092773413

Motorik
"Klang!"

BY JOSH RUFFIN

Motorik
"Klang!"
Available Now
myspace.com/motorikmusik


AUGUSTA, GA - At the end of my first couple of sit-downs with their new album, I was afraid that it might not be fair to Motorik to review them only three months after writing about PR-mates Caves. After all, both groups take liberal cues from the classic new-wave outfits, and sound like they would be equally capable of blowing a few hundred bucks on eBay for a vintage Police poster. Plus, “Get On With It” was a stellar album, and I still have the title track superballing around my frontal lobe.

When you really dig into “Klang!” however, it becomes readily evident that Motorik is more entrenched in post-punk and kraut rock (their name’s not a giveaway at all) than in dance-ready garage boogie. Sure, most of these tracks are catchy enough to coax a jerky nod from even the stiffest of necks, but the trio executes their grooves with an underlying iciness that renders their hooks as sinister as they are potent; opener “Or So I Thought,” with its gut-punch bass lines and lead fills sleek enough to resemble synthesizers, is a prime example.

The band is rock-solid and synched-up, but guitarist Adrian Garver may turn out to the affair’s most unsung hero, with a playing style more layered, inspired, and nuanced variety than typical genre mainstays. His gritty closing lead on “Utopia Parkway” pierces the ears and clasps the throat, while “Potent Kiss’” harsh power chords give way to snake-like diminished riffs.

By the time the chaotic feedback of moody closer “Six Filters”—incidentally the only track on here that might fit the “Lost Boys” soundtrack—segues into a cap-off drum march, you’re probably going to be bewildered enough to give “Klang!” a second listen. And that’s how they getcha.

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