Search - Major Stars :: Distant Effects

The Kings and Queen of Terrastock Nation.

William M. Lazorchak | Arlington, VA, United States | 12/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Following their stint in the marvelous Magic Hour, guitarists
Wayne Rogers and Kate Village (also proprietors of the ultra-fine
store/label Twisted Village) embarked on a "Rock Revival" -- as
they titled a previous Major Stars record. Considering this means
that their guitar slinging gets to freak out even more, everyone
should applaud their endeavor. Together with rhythm section Tom
Leonard and Dave Lynch, Major Stars have spelunked into the depths
of psychedelicized hard rock and through several albums continue
to bring up gems. Though the sum of the parts is definitely what
counts here, I can't help but claim that Wayne's wah-abusing leads
are among the best out there when it comes to tasteful, joyful
chaos. Hendrix would be proud, as are those of us who have seen
-- well, heard -- the light.
Distant Effects, their finest half-hour yet, opens with
"No Higher Meaning", a 4-minute piece of melodic drone rock. It
possesses an unusual mix, with Wayne's vocals drifting pretty
high while the dense guitars churn in the background. This one
actually sounds more like Magic Hour than most recent Major Stars
songs have, which is no bad thing. "Hardly Mention" follows, alternating
calm, pretty verses with breaks that rock significantly harder,
letting the guitars squeal while the rhythm section stops-and-starts
in fine fashion.
"Are We" initially feels like a sad ode to life itself, but
it's uplifted by a sheer joy that kicks in following the vocals
-- it's clear that the band is having such a blast that nothing
could be all that bad. The lead guitar scrambles for release,
among other things, demonstrating that one can play really fast
without losing the point. Wayne goes completely bonkers -- in
a good way -- and lets loose with flurries of notes that stay
together somehow, maintaining a firm melodic sense even as it
all threatens to break apart into utter insanity.
The last song, "Elephant", is the epic here. Fifteen minutes
of majestic psychedelic rock rollercoastering from placid verses
towards an ever-growing, pulsating conclusion of droning guitars.
As the end nears, suddenly we're left with nothing but guitar
tones droning and buzzing, somehow not exactly feeding back. The
overtones are quite hallucinatory if you're into that sort of
thing. Which you should be.
Thoughout, the band keeps a firm balance, perhaps one part dreamy
vocals to three parts instrumental frenzy: a recipe which is certainly
perfect for my palate. The songs rest on Wayne's vocals during
the lulls, letting the songs reach for the stars (so to speak)
the rest of the time. No matter how chaotic it all seems during
the high points, there's always a solid place in which to return,
and it's that control that makes the songs stick together. The
band's got a rare combination of power and self-restraint, perfectly
balanced.
My only possible complaint here has nothing to do with the songs.
It's just that I would have liked to hear the guitars stronger
in the mix -- the recording doesn't quite satisfy my desire to
hear all of the nuances and overtones that I can feel during the
band's live shows. Nonetheless, it's certainly good enough to
communicate the songs' power and assurance, so this is a relatively
minor nitpick. And while some might argue that the album is too
short, I really do prefer erring on the side of brevity. I'd rather
be left wanting more than what usually happens, which is that
I get about 50 minutes through a 70 minute album, and turn it
off. Distant Effects is 34 minutes of solid, superb quality, which
is the way it should be."