The band Califone, unlike the brand of educational audio equipment from whence it draws its name, has consistently put forth albums that disseminate auditory creativity rather than pedantry. Their latest effort, 2006's "Roots & Crowns" proves that Califone are scholars of sonic texture, incorporating synthesizers and sequencers into otherwise typical acoustic blues songs.
The Windy City-based experimental blues-rock outfit began in 1998 as the artistic conduit of former Red Red Meat vocalist and guitarist Tim Rutili. Initially, Califone's repertoire was comprised of the solo, computer-made music of Rutili, but quickly began to expand with the incorporation of other artists from the Chicago post-rock scene.
Eventually, with the acquisition of unique instrumentalists like members of Tortoise and Fruit Bats and former RRM bandmates, Rutili's once solo effort became the purveyor of the unique blend of sparse noise, deconstructed country and folk arrangements of which fans of Califone have become so fond.
Much like its alternative folk contemporary Akron/Family, Califone employs a myriad of unconventional techniques in both vocals and instrumentation. "Roots & Crowns" is the most recent in a series of Califone albums that explore the traditional use of sound in modern indie music. Throughout the album, it utilizes a formula of accenting its songs via seemingly disparate aesthetics.
Rutili's gravelly voice is the obvious example of this. His rough crooning is often laid atop sweet acoustic tones. Instead of sounding out of place, however, his voice only highlights the tonal qualities of Califone's underlying compositions. The voice modulations and chorales that unexpectedly find their way into songs cannot help but do the same.
The album begins with "Pink & Sour," a fast-paced noisy fanfare of tribal-like drums and incomprehensibly complex musical arcs. The album then moves unexpectedly into the poppy "Spiders House." The latter is a slower, more uniform track, containing unchanging guitar and drum lines as its base. Throughout the song, however, Califone layers outwardly atypical instruments (such as the horns of collaborators Bitter Tears or the glockenspiel) on top of that foundation.
Although both songs are seamless, they are perhaps the least similar on the entire album, and their placement next to one another exhibits Califone's stylistic versatility and their untraditionally beautiful sound.
In addition to the atypical instruments that pop up periodically throughout its songs, Califone also inserts non-instrumental sonic elements such as the field recordings of a mall arcade in "Black Metal Valentine," or the fuzzy news broadcast in "A Chinese Actor."
Of the 13-track album, there are but three rock anthems: "A Chinese Actor," "The Orchids" and "3Legged Animals." In addition to the driving guitar and pop drum lines in both "A Chinese Actor" and "3 Legged Animals," Califone avoids any traditionalism. By dint of the feedback and white noise, the band, in effect, launches what would otherwise be a traditional rock song into a realm of shoegaze and noiserock.
"The Orchids," is the apex of "Roots and Crowns." It is easily recognizable as the faultless medium between the contradicting noise and blues dispositions of Califone. An emotional song consisting primarily of acoustic guitar, it also contains well-arranged beeps and blips in addition to the competently applied synths of sound engineer Brian Deck.
If the true beauty of Califone's sound lies in the way that it utilizes modern mixing and engineering technology to add unconventionality to its alternative blues constitution, then "Roots & Crowns" is not for the dilettante.
Like the listening stations produced by Califone the manufacturer, Califone the band's music requires the participation of the more-than-casual listener. For those who are willing to immerse themselves in Califone's music with a discerning ear instead of letting the band's sound simply wash over them, "Roots & Crowns" is easily recognizable as the experimental blues band's magnum opus to date.
