Sluka: Figure It Out
Figure It Out
(Sluka)
Vangelis-like keys wash into trickling arpeggiation with rolling drums pushing us along begins “Figure It Out,” the opener of Sluka’s new album of the same name. Sweet strings figure in when the instruments drop away about midway as Christopher Sluka informs the vocal with backing vocals from Anna Eppink. I like this opening; there’s lots of different stuff happening and rallying around Sluka’s dramatic vocal approach.
Michael Bedard on drums and bassist Eppink create a solid 80’s techno beat on the poppy “Shout Out,” a seemingly jingoistic little tune that has a lot more to its lyric than is first apparent.
I like the slight tribal beat and ‘clicky’ running beat of “Vye on Vyatta.” I think Sluka’s vocal is especially dramatic and arresting on this one about halfway into the album. It’s mostly a drone-of-a-tune but still quite effective.
“S.O.S” is probably the heaviest tune with wild overdrive guitar and heavy Bedard thrumming and then “Happy in Your World,” ends Figure It Out.
The former reveals Sluka managing his best Bowie in the cacophony with “Happy in Your World,” built on a pretty piano. Once again, this one gives the band’s leader, Christopher Sluka, plenty of room to render a plea for happiness. The players, the rest of whom include Nico Hueso playing viola violin, Erdix Maxhelaku on cello, Brad Steinwehe on trumpet and Jordan Morita on trombone back him as perfectly here as they do throughout Figure It Out.