It’s Not Like Me To Leave A Job Undone

Magik Markers “Last of the Lemach Line” – When I first encountered the Magik Markers, they were opening up for Sonic Youth, and burning through a set that sounded a great deal like that band’s earliest recordings, but with less aggression, and a charismatic vocalist who “shouted the poetic truths of high school journal keepers” like the punk rock girl from “Skip Tracer.” They’ve released a few records in the time since, and though they were interesting, they weren’t very successful in translating their improv-centric aesthetic to a proper studio recording until just recently. On the forthcoming album Boss, they’ve managed to develop discrete, structured compositions without sacrificing the spark of their performances. They dabble in punk and at least two cuts recall the grim atmosphere and gentle, cracked piano-based balladry of Cat Power circa Moon Pix and the Covers Record, but most of the songs are turbulent, gloomy dirges that showcase Elisa Ambrogio’s cryptic lyrics and urgent, emotionally potent vocals. “Last of the Lemach Line” is the most sprawling track on the record, and though it seems to build up to a grand release, it consistently turns sideways or slows to a crawl whenever it feels as though it is about to reach its climax. (Click here for Ecstatic Peace’s Magik Markers page.)

Elsewhere: My new Hit Refresh column is up on the ASAP site with mp3s from Imperial Teen, Home Blitz, and the New Pornographers.