Chicago-based A Lull's Confetti Reprise sounds exactly as its title suggests; it is not a collection of outtakes or throwaways put out merely to scrape up some more cash or recognition for the band while fans wait for the next release. It is, rather, a straight continuation of the styles and melodies found on their debut album, which shrunk in size from over 70 songs in its conception to just 11 by the time it was finished. What resulted from that big cut was a loss of four songs that, while not perfect for the “flow” of the first album, the band thought were still important, or maybe just good enough, to share with the world months later with a second EP. So what, then, does it all add up to? Were these extra songs worth a whole extra release, or was there a good reason why they were left behind in the first place?
The answer is somewhat tricky, and involves some looking (or, rather, hearing) backwards. Each of the songs on Confetti Reprise have a lot of strength within them, with the same kind of audible, powerful percussion-driven talent that can only come from each of the band's five members having experience as a percussionist at one point or another. The title track is especially notable in this way, with industrial whistles running parallel to locomotive rhythms, adding up to a fantastic instrumental break making the whole thing worth a listen; similarly “The Pit” is another track with really resonate and emotive percussion unlike much else out there at the moment, especially at about two minutes in when there is again another enveloping percussion instrumental before it segues into the vocals again.
While these songs are all pretty decent, it should be said, comparing them as a set next to the songs from the first album, the Confetti Reprise batch really do not seem unique, leaving one little wonder as to why the others were ultimately chosen in their stead. In songs like “Weapons For War” or “Some Love,” there existed a sharp bite, a kind of delectable penchant for curved melodies swirled around backbone-straight pulses of percussion, simply (and unfortunately) not present on Reprise; the latter album tends to blend together into one big piece if you're not paying attention, until the moment each song changes. Ultimately, though, while nothing released here is particularly mind-blowing, A Lull's attention to detail and talent for arranging seamless tribal percussion alongside melodic vocals is present on every song, and enough to make this a worthwhile listen, especially if you were a fan of the band before. - In Your Speakers |
