Albums by this artist

Meisha Returns Meisha Forever (2000)

Meisha

Meisha Returns Meisha Forever

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» ADAM HOBBS | STAFF WRITER

Meisha Meisha Returns Meisha Forever Music Fellowship, 2000 RiYL: Windy and Carl, George Winston, early Pat Metheny

Listening to this second release from Meisha is kind of like the feeling of being underwater: at first, you observe physical calm and serenity in sound. You're enjoying yourself. But you're underwater. You're running out of air and your ears are starting to plug up. Soon, all you want to do is rise to the surface and get far away from the water. Wrapping yourself in a towel, you retreat to a nearby couch and begin to experience the true peace only silence can provide after an episode like that. Or maybe some daytime TV.

I try not to get to offended by bands like Meisha who confuse guitars with palettes and amps with canvasses and then immaturely claim technical wizardry and creative poise. Like about 95% of music out there, Meisha's is just idolatry with a personal touch. The minimalism of Steve Reich, the psychedelia of early '70s Pink Floyd (namely Atom Heart Mother), the busy bass of Tortoise. Hell, even the guitar timbre of Pat Matheny, which I'd hoped I would never hear again. It's all there, not necessarily in carbon copy, but you get the feeling that you've heard this "abstract expressionist painting" before.

Not to say that Meisha Returns Meisha Forever doesn't art-rock well, the album gracefully identifies with that style. And the band's ability to keep every song hovering around 120 BPMs and multiples thereof speaks softly of ambient techno. Woodsy, organic art-techno. While one might tire quickly of the constant keyboard and guitar arpeggiations that dominate throughout, the album does have a few shining moments. The first track, "Piano Song," is by far the most pleasant and, though the title doesn't reflect this, it does sound like the only music in this release that was pre-conceived. I could also sense education when a slight piano phase thing occurred in "The Most Perfect Pancake" and in the hint of a melody fluttered in during the beginning of the last track, "Vic D'Amico."

Historically, art and music have always influenced each other, which is a good thing. But rarely have there been any positive experiments in duality concerning those two schools. And when an artist musically sinks to the depths of puerility without a nod to the proper patron saints, I welcome their cause much like I would a Jerry Garcia necktie.

ADAM HOBBS |