12" Pop Shots

As a project, Odd Clouds showcases the wildly firing synapses of Chris Pottinger and Jamie Easter. Best known as a scum punk with a penchant for audacious stage antics with the Piranhas (Easter) and for making gear-grinding hardcore noise under the moniker Cotton Museum (Pottinger), this effort sounds nothing like either man's previous work. Underneath its disturbingly brilliant cover art is a record that's beautifully sparse. Vocals are of little importance; instead, droning tribal drums propel haunted vibes to coast on a twisted arc. Imagine your mom's yoga mood music gone evil, or a backwoods private press LP with murky connections to some quasi-religious cult, and then be proud that Odd Clouds are making this racket right in your back yard. The spirited use of trombone and flute keeps the three untitled pieces on Cavernous End from being mired in twiddle-yer-thumbs, background-worthy noise schlock. And while the lesser-informed may argue "Where's the songs?" those truly tuned in will recognize that the group is an exercise in sprawling mania. These jams are to be absorbed slowly, rather than immediately bombarding you with overwrought choruses and other crutches of the failed pop construct. But take note: Cavernous End is a limited pressing, so you'd better jump on this before you kid brother starts reading Arthur and snatches it from underneath you.

Ben Blackwell writes about music for Metro Times . Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.