Milks and Rectangles - Milks and Rectangles

by Dave Goodwin

published: 10 / 10 / 2012

Milks and Rectangles - Milks and Rectangles

Label: Milks and Rectangles
Format: CD

Confusing, but marvellous maths rock on debut album from Canadian-based three-piece Milks and Rectangles

Review

Now me Dad always said, "If you want to get on in life and understand what you are doing you've got to do your research!" Even down to things like components and such like, he'd say, "Learn about where it came from and why it was made and you'll understand. Be methodical!" I took his advice on this one because this is a good album but I am not entirely sure what it's about. So I FB'ed them, and gleaned some valuable information such as they are from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and their personal information is this... "Discrimination Among Milks Using Screen-printed Electrochemical Arrays and An Electronic Nose: Electrochemical arrays were constructed by screen-printing. The arrays consisted of four members derived from carbon inks containing platinum, palladium, rhodium and a proprietary mediator. Using this analysis it was possible to discriminate among milks and a range of yoghurts. An e-nose was also used..." It was then that it hit me. Don't try to always understand things So I didn't. And I still don't. But not to worry. With references to Cobra, Mongoose, Snake, Dog, and Dolphin complete with the addition of some other of lives little misnomers like Bullets and Impossible Things I don't suppose I'm supposed to I suppose. The changing tempos and eclectic series of instruments and diverse directions this one takes left me like I'd just had one of those weird flavoured bag of crisps. You know the ones. You can sort of tell what it is, but it doesn't resemble the flavour on the packet but it is good anyway. Got it? Good. It all starts with the early New Order-influenced 'Hospital Patience', which has a catchy rhythm and great strumming guitar, and it gives bandleader Christian Ledwell a chance to "Let me explain my bad idea". The cool indie short-but-sweet 'Animal Lover' echoes like the bathroom into the Spector-ish 'Don't Fall into the Wrong Hands' which confused me more by informing me that "Snakes walk with their hands in their pockets/Fork tongues that they plug into sockets" whilst making your foot tap with flutish intentions. The great Franz Ferdinand-esque 'Hearts the Target' references major incidents and is for me one of the standouts, as is the next stylophone style 'Loose Hips Sink Ships'. Equally fine is the industrious start to 'Bad Czech', while the 60's-influenced 'Seven Dials' washes over you like the coke that follows the crisps and settles in your stomach along with the harder beat-bound "Boston Brahmin". The penultimate track is the synth-laden recorded-in-a-canal-tunnel 'Parties Unknown' leading us into the last quick-fire abrupt ending of 'Loaded Questio', which cut out at 1:47, and left me totally confused and as if I'd journeyed into a pint of Guinness and couldn't find the step ladders to get out. Marvellous! Christian Ledwell is a sometime member of Boxer the Horse and his brother Daniel, of In Flight Safety, serves as the producer and bassist Brandon Williams completed the record while training for the Coast Guard. Research indeed...

Track Listing:-

1 Hospital Patience
2 Animal Lover
3 Don't Fall Into the Wrong Hands
4 Heart's the Target
5 Loose Hips Sink Ships
6 Nobody's Fool
7 Bad Czech
8 Seven Dials
9 Boston Brahmin
10 Parties Unknown
11 A Loaded Question