Cool Addict

It’s difficult to accurately describe the sound that is produced from a band like Au. Thats kind of the point. Like other experimental music, the foundation of their upcoming LP Verbs is built with a sense of unexpected precedent. The sound shifts and morphs with no thought to convention, taking the listener on a journey that will blur the line between consonance and dissonance.

The Immediate comparison that comes to mind on first listen will be freak-folk bands like Animal Collective. This begs an interesting question; do we really need or even want another band like Animal Collective? Au’s solution to relevance is to stray away from the familiar corridors of acoustic psychedelia, and create a more baroque almost classical take on the genre. This can be interpreted as the fundamental difference that makes this Portland band stand apart from the Brooklyn art scene. Rather than relying on slurring musicianship and weirdness to give the songs character, they subjugate their strong musical competency through layers of deconstruction. The end result on Verbs is a meticulously constructed turmoil- a brilliant collection of clattered songs for the more adventuresome listener.

Verbs is out 6/26 on Agoo.

Listen:
Au - Sum
Au - RR vs DD

RIYL: Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Akron Family.

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