SWEATER / 7-ELEVEN

And here's yet another early-enough single I just ignorantly assumed was Schlagenheim album material. It certainly doesn't help that the digital version of standalone-single "7-eleven" literally copy-pasted that album's art as its own. Anyhow, all the more reason to give it a spin and give you all my thoughts [muh thunks kuh-chunk].

And we start off with the 11-and-a-half minute "Sweater", a helluva way to present your new single/EP regardless of the content (although, as many of us know, a common enough occurrence in Prog). And from the first strikes, I suspected I was in for a ride [color me wrong]. And then in Black Midi fashion (see the later mini-epic "Ascending Forth", for instance), it all dies down to the absolute softest output possible from electric guitar, bass and drums. Still suggesting to me influence from early-00s Math Rock (I could very well include Make Believe or Joan Of Arc, too, if I may), the chords are a tad bluesy. Morgan's attacks are sparse but purposeful. And here, with the angular choices from lead guitar (I usually assume from now-former member Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin), they reflect their Avant-Rock roots; at times methinks like Fred Frith. And when it comes to tracks where the main event is building a sonic scene, it's hard to say how I'll feel, but I'm diggin' this'n. Around minute 10, there's a sort of drier buzz sound reminiscent to "Welcome to the Machine". It would be a stretch to call this Space Rock, although it's mostly defined by ambience.

Seeming to continue in this too-empty-for-a-single kinda way, "7-eleven" enters the headphones low and slow, although with an optimistic sort of wonder. Here, Geordie delivers an only-so-convincing Western-accented monologue. I mean, if he's going for Southern, somebody might have an issue haha. And enter in a fitting banjo alongside the steady guitar. The latter crescendos to a single, ringing strike of distortion. It is certainly beautiful, but there's no way I would ever need to hear this again haha.

Ultimately, a much weaker single than the earlier "Talking Heads" / "Crow's Perch", and one I'm even more surprised exists at all haha.

True Rate: 2.5/5.0