Embody
by Moss Jaw
Jen Powers
Michael Southard - Triplicate Records
migmag72
malcolmacleod
Hugh Docherty
Stagger
tylersonic
Conor Perreault
the learned m.
Mighttheone
J. S. Scharenbroch
all_knee
Mohammad Al Huraiz
KidColeco
mason
idiot_vehicle
Fluxus
HighPony
kerplow
Tracy Presence
Adam Shanley
Lee Adcock
Mr. November
Nelson Kugle
Sean Fitz
Joshua Macala
Jeff Frederick
put in the name for your bandcamp
Chris Diehn
FriendClubRob
nickscollard
CLH
Marc Masters
stanimosity
Austin Matheney
kevmachine
bearhat
c4 the eXplosIVe
jcsalazar2000
jsobrie
gunkldunk
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Streaming + DownloadIncludes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Purchasable with gift card
$7 USD or more
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Limited Edition Cassette (Second Edition)
Cassette + Digital AlbumIncludes unlimited streaming of Embody via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Sold Out
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Limited Edition Cassette
Cassette + Digital AlbumIncludes unlimited streaming of Embody via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Sold Out
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1. |
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2. |
Twigs and Stems
04:46
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3. |
Nesting Habits
03:21
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4. |
Like a Bug
05:21
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5. |
Dirty Dishes
05:37
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6. |
What is Your Composition
05:30
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7. |
Tying Strings
03:03
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8. |
Detritus
02:36
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9. |
Meristems
04:10
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10. |
Bone/Fracture
06:49
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11. |
Dry Remains
05:36
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about
"Moss Jaw’s social media describes their work as “compositionally dynamic, organic soundscapes cultivated by four pals from Kalamazoo, MI.” That’s a pretty good summation, but after spending some time with 'Embody,' the word that most comes to mind is “haunting.”
The record introduces itself with electronic instrumentation, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia. However, a more organic soundscape quickly reveals itself with the introduction of guitars and a live drum kit. Primary vocalist Kayley Kerastas' wandering voice quickly jumps to the front of my attention even in its slightly subdued state; each instrument is given its place of equal importance, resulting in the vocals being lower in the mix than expected. This gives them a distant and pleasant feeling to me. I catch myself with her voice singing inside my head throughout the day which adds to the ghostly feeling. A quiet male voice belonging to keyboardist and guitarist Russell "The Brick" Wagner also appears on occasion. The two compliment each other so well that I sometimes can’t tell if the second voice is really there or if my mind is inventing it.
It would be easy to focus entirely on the vocals, but the unit really shines as a whole. I’m reminded of Pacific Northwest bands from around the 2000s with the occasional tiptoe towards post-rock. They pull off a songwriting style that’s often attempted and rarely done well. Each instrument could be heard as a separate melody coming together to form a cohesive whole, and that includes the drums. I’m absolutely fascinated by the drums on this thing, courtesy of Evan Asher. It’s rare to hear such inventive rhythms that enhance instead of distract. All of that along with a slight angularity to the guitars reminds me of Captain Beefheart, though the comparisons stop there. All the instruments play very smoothly, often fading out rather than approaching anything abrupt.
They’ve added a lot more atmospherics to their sound that had me baffled as to their origin. I assumed there was some heavy studio trickery going on here. After hunting down live videos to see how much of a difference there is between the songs being played live and on this recording, I am surprised to learn there’s not much of a difference. It’s obvious that every single sound has been carefully thought through. There are some of the more obvious things like bassist Max Murray switching to keyboards or baritone guitar depending on what fits the song better, and there are tiny things such as cymbal hits being played in reverse, apparently the result of sampled elements created by Wagner. Each decision creates its maximum impact, resulting in a record sure to haunt you for much time to come."
- Chris Cowdrey, Already Dead Tapes, 2019
The record introduces itself with electronic instrumentation, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia. However, a more organic soundscape quickly reveals itself with the introduction of guitars and a live drum kit. Primary vocalist Kayley Kerastas' wandering voice quickly jumps to the front of my attention even in its slightly subdued state; each instrument is given its place of equal importance, resulting in the vocals being lower in the mix than expected. This gives them a distant and pleasant feeling to me. I catch myself with her voice singing inside my head throughout the day which adds to the ghostly feeling. A quiet male voice belonging to keyboardist and guitarist Russell "The Brick" Wagner also appears on occasion. The two compliment each other so well that I sometimes can’t tell if the second voice is really there or if my mind is inventing it.
It would be easy to focus entirely on the vocals, but the unit really shines as a whole. I’m reminded of Pacific Northwest bands from around the 2000s with the occasional tiptoe towards post-rock. They pull off a songwriting style that’s often attempted and rarely done well. Each instrument could be heard as a separate melody coming together to form a cohesive whole, and that includes the drums. I’m absolutely fascinated by the drums on this thing, courtesy of Evan Asher. It’s rare to hear such inventive rhythms that enhance instead of distract. All of that along with a slight angularity to the guitars reminds me of Captain Beefheart, though the comparisons stop there. All the instruments play very smoothly, often fading out rather than approaching anything abrupt.
They’ve added a lot more atmospherics to their sound that had me baffled as to their origin. I assumed there was some heavy studio trickery going on here. After hunting down live videos to see how much of a difference there is between the songs being played live and on this recording, I am surprised to learn there’s not much of a difference. It’s obvious that every single sound has been carefully thought through. There are some of the more obvious things like bassist Max Murray switching to keyboards or baritone guitar depending on what fits the song better, and there are tiny things such as cymbal hits being played in reverse, apparently the result of sampled elements created by Wagner. Each decision creates its maximum impact, resulting in a record sure to haunt you for much time to come."
- Chris Cowdrey, Already Dead Tapes, 2019
credits
released April 26, 2019
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
Already Dead Tapes and Records Los Angeles, California
All genre record label focused on small edition cassette, vinyl, and VHS releases.
Est. 2009
discography
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Apr 2023 -
Mar 2023 -
Feb 2023 -
Jan 2023
contact / help
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