Thom's Night Out Review
Clogs are a quartet from the United States and Australia featuring viola, guitar, bassoon, and percussion. Their debut, Thom's Night Out, will bring to mind post-rock (Dirty Three; Rachels) only Clogs use more distinctive sounds and memorable melodies. Their music bears evidence of their classical training and lead composer Padma Newsome's six years on an ashram in the outback. We keep insisting that they sound like Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Sigur Ros, but they keep telling us they've never heard of those bands, but that they really like Igor Stravinsky and Erik Satie. No one ever takes our marketing advice. Read more...
Thom's Night Out Specifications
A lot of classical musicians mix musical genres only to wind up creating superficial crossover music. But on Thom's Night Out, the classically trained Clogs have come up with a far more substantial fusion. The album evokes, among other things, European modernist composition, Godspeed You Black Emperor, tango, the Paul Winter Consort, and Middle Eastern music. The individual members of the quartet display a striking instrumental range on the CD's eight compositions (six by leader and composer Padma Newsome). Bassoonist Rachael Elliott can riff hard or make gentle melodic statements; percussionist Thomas Kozumplik is able to coax sweet tones out of steel drums or push the music like a rock drummer. Guitarist Bryce Dessner lays down pretty, hypnotic patterns, and he also plays flowing lines that may be improvised. Newsome produces eerie and lyrical tones on viola (and violin) with equal aplomb. Thom's Night Out is all-inclusive chamber music for here and now. --Fred Cisterna
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