Search - 31knots :: Talk Like Blood

The easiest 5 stars I've ever given.

T. Lotesto | 10/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Talk Like Blood is 31 Knots' third official full-length album, and it's quite possibly their best. While the band hasn't tamed down the technicality of their playing, the songs are truly the focus here. The record is dark and bleak. In lesser hands, it would probably come off as a litany of complaints. In the care of Joe Haege, Jay Pellicci, and Jay Winebrenner, it instead sounds like a celebration of life.



The lyrics have evolved to be more inclusive if still evasive. They're a puzzle, but we're now given large clues as to the rules. The recording is crisp without ever sounding overproduced. The album as a whole is somehow the most dense and yet most listener-friendly work they've produced. Unconventional and challenging as it may be, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if 31 Knots has made a hit record.



The songs:



1. City of Dust - Who the hell opens an album with an old school hip hop shout out? And why does it actually work so beautifully here? Over a guitar and beat that sound like a calliope nightmare, Joe Haege sings about... well, something. And it sounds beautiful. Some reviewers calls the lyrics politically timely, but I think 31 Knots is more concerned with the abuse of power in general than with whoever is in office presently. A stunning, strange opening to the album, with a clue that this one will be more personal than the back catalog.



2. Hearsay - Ah, back to the old sounds. Easily one of the most immediate, radio friendly tracks on Talk Like Blood. The opening drumming is primal, the bass actually grooves(!), and the ending 30 seconds or so will give you whiplash and a sore throat.



3. Thousand Wars - I once read a review for a Nirvana album that called one of their songs a 'two minute corker.' They should have saved the term for this song. Another one that questions absolute power in its lyrics. The music here seems simple until you pay attention. Jay P's drumming alone is a master class in quick percussion. Oh, and Joe whips out a mean falsetto.



4. Intuition Imperfected - It's not an accordian but a guitar that starts this song, no matter what your ears might tell you. The first line of singing is Joe Haege's finest, most confident vocal performance ever recorded, and the song only gets better from there. This one is a marvel.



5. Chain Reaction - This track seems to have been picked by the band's label as something of a single. At 6:07, that may seem an odd pick, but the simplicity (for 31 Knots) and beauty of this song make the choice rather obvious. With more linear lyrics than usual, off kilter sentiments, and a build to a vocal crescendo that will leave you breathless, this is the kind of song that would top the charts in some (smarter) alternate reality.



6. Towering Steps(?) - Yes, there's a hidden track, and yes, it's in the middle of the album. This is sure to throw some reviewers off. A great separation between the two 'sides' of the album. Not a song, just a chance to catch your breath.



7. A Void Employs A Kiss - A swirling guitar opening morphs into one of 31 Knots' most obviously personal songs. "Now I live inside of you..." Joe sings, and that's precisely where he burrows in this song. And when he threatens that he'll then "climb the stairs and break your heart," well, don't say he didn't warn you.



8. Proxy and Dominion - The first 31 Knots song to feature piano as the prominent instrument, this is another short, to the point rock song. Or so it seems. The piano goes off far into classical territory in the breakdown, and for as long as I live I will never understand how Jay gets these sounds from a guitar. The ending piano line is so beautiful it makes me almost forget the fierceness that preceded it.



9. Talk Like Blood - This is one strange bird. We open with a string sample, looped on skip mode, and some of Joe's most arena rock guitar work ever. Then the vocals, oh God. They're menacing enough to send small children and dogs under the bed. Only when the songs snap into a more traditional rock song is it safe to come out of hiding. Well, until Joe the killer returns and demands that you "react so I can act like a man."



10. Busy is Bold - The return of the 'wash of instruments' sound from previous albums returns, only to be wiped out by a syncopated breakbeat featuring sleepy, seductive vocals, gorgeous falsetto, and a brain warping bass line. The close of the song is philosophical, wise, and downright pretty. The vocal melodies are so pure you can't believe they're not stolen.



11. Impromptu Disproving - There is definitely a 'type' to the last song on any 31 Knots album. They are sparse, cagey, and melancholy. This one is no different. But unlike in the past, it's not really a departure from the rest of the album. It's certainly not a single, and it's not immediately catchy, but this is quite simply one of the most gorgeous songs 31 Knots has written."

Best band you've never heard of...

Daniel Kubier | Oklahoma City, OK USA | 01/31/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had the good fortune of just happening to be at a place called The Conservatory here in Oklahoma City a few years ago when these guys were there promoting "It was high time to escape" - I was completely blown away...I can honestly say this band is the best band no one has heard of. They are not for people who simply buy whatever barfs up over the radio. Well, I guess I would actually highly recommend this CD to those who only tune in to see what ooze spews off the speakers because it might just jar loose some realization that there is appreciable music out there...somewhere...

I digress. 31 Knots can be described as "Classical Rock" in the most literal sense. Atypical guitar chord structures mixed with bass lines that broaden the sound as opposed to merely following the guitar or piano. The lyrics are also very creative and catchy.

To sum it up: If you like well-written, creative, thoughtfully plotted rock music, then buy this CD and everything else they have done...and if you prefer Nickelback or Hinder or whatever ClearChannel thinks you should like, then you should still buy this CD because you seriously need to broaden your horizons. You won't regret it.



Also try these bands: Against Me, Traindodge, Riddle of Steel, Skeleton Key



"

I am a new fan of 31 Knots

Laura L. Wetter | Tampa, FL | 05/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hearing them for the first time most recently after purchasing a CD from Polyvinyl Records, Hail Social, I was also sent a sampler CD for free, and the track Chain Reaction by 31 Knots is awesome, I love it. The previous review wondered about the

hand-picked mainstream feel of the song, and I think it will

be loved by many, simliar to Radiohead, who is genius, but not mainstream to me. I give the song Chain Reaction 5 stars, and I will buy the whole CD soon."