June of '44 / Four Great Points by Jarrod Hood Quarterstick Records Out of the mists of a two year hiatus, the brooding, ugly, half-brother of The Traveling Wilburys lurches toward you with another forty-two minutes of mind-numbing, meter-twisting, catharsis-inducing music that will ruin your perception of the natural world. June of '44 kicks it Kentucky-style one more time, making one wonder what exactly is in the water out there that can produce such warped musical genius as this. June of '44 consists of ex-members of defunct Louisville bands (not to mention seminal eccentro-rock acts) Rodan and Hoover, as well as members of Codeine and Rex. After Rodan's demise in spring of 1995, guitarist Jeff Mueller gathered with ex-Codeine drummer Doug Scharin, Hoover's ex-bassist Fred Erskine, and Sonora Pine guitarist/vocalist Sean Meadows to release Engine Takes to the Water later that year. Three years and two releases (The Anatomy of Sharks and Tropics and Meridians) later, they have managed to escape the fate of other Louisville outfits, and produce another solid record in the form of Four Great Points. These boys can rock out. Brooding, intense, lush, and at times downright painful, the music wrenched from June's instruments has always been on the cutting edge of guitar- and drum-driven music. Four Great Points is no exception, and it marks a significant expansion in scope for a band whose formula for making music has been as solid as it has been recognizable -- not simplistic or easy to grasp, but distinguishing and characteristic nevertheless. This album is significantly less gritty than Tropics and Meridians, more polished and mature, but without sacrificing the intensity and complexity that made earlier releases so memorable. Track one, "Of Information and Belief," demonstrates that June of '44 has not lost its penchant for off-kilter time signatures (they use 5\4 time like Keith Richards uses methadone), but is more ambient, more trance-like. This track first exhibits what will become one of the album's more notable departures, the addition of a violin to the instrumentation. This instrumental experimentation continues throughout the album, with trumpet, bells, steel poles, a staircase (don't ask, the liner notes say so), even a moog and sampler. The first track, like the entire record, exhibits incredible dynamic control: from smooth, soft and lush, to sharp and caustic in the space of a few measures. Dynamics and layering are the emphasis of the second track, "The Dexterity of Luck," which consists of a single guitar line that repeats for almost six minutes, upon which the other parts are spread to create the song. This is indicative of a trend toward the repetition of riffs and melodies that is interesting from a band known for its linear, complex arrangements. This propensity for hooks lends a new feel to the music, without losing trademark complexity. Next is "Cut Your Face," my personal favorite. Art rockers look out, this band is out to kick your ass, and this song proves it. "Doomsday" is noodly and pensive, anchored by Erskine's driving bass, while "Does Your Heart Beat Slower" is possibly June of '44's most melodic and accessible song ever. "Lifted Bells" is a curious, wildly experimental number with some insane drum work from Scharin, truly a sleighbells-ring-a-ling, ting-ting-tingling tune. "Shadow Pugilist" follows up with beautiful guitars and vocals, and the album ends with "Air #17," Mueller's rambling poetics backed with jangly, strangely melodic guitars. I'll put it to you straight, this band is what you need. If you have 15 dollars to your name, take 14 of them to the record store and buy this album (forget about those flea-market wingtips and sign up for food stamps). Look, your friends will pay you for the privilege of coming over to listen to it. There is not a moment on this record that will fail to move, amaze, or frighten you, and you could stand to lose a few pounds anyway.

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