Rock is an experimental tune

For those who may know, experimental rock is a genre which creates boundaries of similar composition in rock music and the performance technique experiments with the basic elements of rock. Los Angeles band Wreck and Reference released their fourth studio titled Absolute Still Life and this album is different from their past albums because their music consists of less screaming vocals  and unusual musical tempos. Ignat Frege and Felix Skinner created an album that has a unique quality thanks to the production, drums and vocals collide to create an unusual musical beat which is filled with words being spoken by Frege and Skinner. The songs on this album have similar and different tempos, beats and production, and what makes each song different is the lyrics. In some ways the lyrics are like spoken poetry with deeper and lighter meaning behind them and it displays the creativity of Frege and Skinner to make an album outside of their usual elements. The experiments in genre both men did on this album show how they were not afraid to step out of their comfort zones to show their fans and listeners what they are capable of. 

On the album there is a song titled “Eris Came To Me At Night” and this song is unique because of the instruments being used to create the theme on the track. The song kicks off with a deep sound coming from a keyboard and when listening closely, the bass guitar can be heard playing deep riffs while the keyboard is playing the deep sound. Skinner’s drumming can be heard playing light drum beats and when he hits the cymbals, the sound creates the mystical feeling of the theme and it blends in with the rest of the music as well. Also the keyboard is blaring out an unusual sound which provides a feeling of amazement and magic on the track. The meaning of the lyrics are hard to understand but when listening closely, it seems Frege is speaking about being visited by a ghost at night and the ghost makes him feel like he is another dimension. How Frege speaks on this track is enjoyable as well because listeners can feel the emotion his voice while he is talking and the emotion can bring a sense of uncertainty while listening. Some fans and listeners will understand the meaning of this song and it will be interesting to hear their own thoughts about the meaning.

The song titled “What Goes In and Comes Out’’ starts off with church bell sounds and vocals by Frege and Skinner can be heard singing in low pitches. Their vocals contribute to the feeling of misery in the song. What seems interesting is how both of the men’s singing voices start to intensify in the middle of the song and the louder their voices become, listeners can hear and feel the sad emotions of the song. The drumming by Skinner is pretty good on this track because the tempo of his drum beats change from slow to moderate. Also what is creative about the drumming is how drum rolls can be heard in the song and the sound of the drum rolls contributes well with the sound of church bells blaring in the background. Perhaps this song is about life and death because the feeling of misery can be felt in this song and the sounds coming from the instruments provides the feeling of a dark and cold place. 

 Another song on the album which displays unique music is titled “Amends” and the reason why this song is unique is thanks to the vocal styles by Frege and Skinner. The song starts off with unusual sounds coming from the keyboards and other electronic instruments. Frege’s vocals can be heard in the background speaking about making amends with our pasts and Skinner’s vocals can be heard singing along in tune with Frege. What is seemingly interesting is how in the middle of the song both men’s vocals mesh together to create a rather unique vocal collaboration and the way both men sing, it contributes to the emotions in the song. Also the music production on this track is great because the music itself changes into different tunes and sounds throughout the whole song. Every beat in this song is completely different because Frege and Skinner were able to use various instruments to create a song filled with mystical music. Skinner’s drumming is being used lightly and sparingly on the track, with the sounds from the keyboard providing the feeling of entrapment, the bass guitar can be heard playing experimental riffs in the background and the digital music provides the song with techno galaxy sounds.  This song is unique and some fans and listeners will appreciate the uniqueness of the song.

Wreck and Reference were not afraid to test the waters by changing their music style on this album. Though it may not be a favorite of all, some fans and listeners may very well find this album enjoyable due to the experimental rock in the album.