31 Knots / Talk Like Blood
Album: Talk Like Blood   Collection:General
Artist:31 Knots   Added:Jan 2006
Label:Polyvinyl Record Co.  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2006-01-22 Pull Date: 2006-03-26
Week Ending: Feb 19 Feb 12 Feb 5 Jan 29
Airplays: 1 1 2 2

Recent Airplay
1. Dec 12, 2016: Everything A to Z week 70
A Void Employs A Kiss
4. Feb 09, 2006: knifefishhappyhour
Hearsay
2. May 24, 2016: does radio suck?
Proxy And Dominion
5. Feb 04, 2006: Biff Bang Pow
Proxy And Dominion
3. Feb 13, 2006: knifefishhappyhour
Intuition Imperfected
6. Feb 02, 2006: Rock in a Position
Proxy And Dominion

Album Review
Ben Wolfson
Reviewed 2006-01-21
31 Knots -- Talk Like Blood -- Polyvinyl
Reviewer: Ben Wolfson

In the main a fairly proggy band in the contemporary way, influenced by math rock, 80s King Crimson, and Dismemberment Plan-like bands. Male indie-type vox, spidery/jittery guitars, active, usually interesting drumming; odd meters dominate. This is fairly different from their earlier albums that the station has.
Best: 4, *5*, 8, 10, 11
FCC clean [no! 5 has "fuck"; onesheet has lies!]

1. Staticky intro with not very interesting declamatory, shoutouty vocals; simple keys melody & angry vox after the intro
2. Emo-y lyrics, kind of off-kiltery rhythms. Has a nice climax, which is essentially the chorus from earlier in the song, louder and with more forceful drumming.
3. Starts with solo vocal scream/instrumental alternating. Bass line dominates here. Herky-jerky chordal guitar solo.
4. Long guitar/keyboard intro, not *entirely* dissimilar in the keyboard part to that from "Baba O'Riley". Keys continue throughout the song with loping drums. The other parts of the band gain (bass & more guitars) gain in prominence as the song progresses.
5. The instrumental parts here are more like you get in some brutal prog bands like Ahleuchatistas, though not as complex---however, this means that it's a lot more melodic. This is closer to their older albums stylistically. Riffy with a nice bass line in the sung parts.
6. (this track is not included in the ZK tracklist, so henceforth all track numbers are off by one with respect to the ZK entry) Abstract synth pulses switching between channels, with some staticky bits entering later.
7. High energy rocker; switches to a martial rhythm halfway through for a bit. Solid drumming.
8. Flowing piano lines are the dominant instrumental sound here, gradually gets distorted as in an electric piano.
9. Sampled & cut up/looped strings. Interesting idea but it doesn't work terribly well with the other textures on the track.
10. Another more immediately complex one, and some of the most varied singing on the album, too; very high energy and, unlike the last track, effective "string" arrangement, and a great bass part.
11. Similar to the last track but mellower beginning, though it builds up by the middle. Also has a "string" arrangement.

Track Listing
1. City Of Dust   6. A Void Employs A Kiss
2. Hearsay   7. Proxy And Dominion
3. Thousand Wars   8. Talk Like Blood
4. Intuition Imperfected   9. Busy Is Bold
5. Chain Reaction   10. Impromptu Disproving