Form and Fate - Recirc
Recorded and mixed by Form and Fate with Brian Bickerton, Ben Browning and Kevin McAuliffe
Mastered by Adam Myatt at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA
Post-rock bands never let a lack of words hinder a sonic journey of emotional catharsis. On the EP Recirc, San Francisco’s Form and Fate, a primarily instrumental quintet, guides listeners through its bleakest moments with five melancholy songs that reach for the core.
Their epic compositions build from restrained to bursting and make imminent comparisons to stars of the style like Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai, with differences that are hard to pinpoint. But the band does right by the genre. With three guitarists to buoy the bass and drums, Form and Fate employs multiple melodic layers to drive songs to climax.
“Nobody ever told me the airlock would unlock” a faraway voice murmurs on opener “Airlock,” one of two tracks with vocals. The song settles into a dreamy groove before feedback sets the stage for a thundering unravel. The meditative repetition of the funereal “He Grows” is a controlled exercise in subtlety that bleeds into the somber reflection of “Magnets in My Bones.” “Masking,” the unmistakable standout of the album, pairs comforting guitar riffs with distant vocals seemingly recorded in an era gone by. With a heavy and soul-elevating pinnacle coupled with the revelation “sunsets can only be admired through a rusty, wired fence,” the band affirms that sadness has its place and makes happiness feel even better. Form and Fate ostensibly concludes the trip underwater on “No Really, You Should Be Stopping” with a soothing tremolo picking pattern that conjures a peaceful glide through a pure, tropical sea.
Strong musicianship and well-crafted emotive outbursts makes Recirc an enjoyable and qualified shepherd for these troubled times. (500 Records/ Three Ring Records)
-Julia Cooper
Published in April 2008 issue of West Coast Performer
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