While the band The Royal Arctic Institute contains two members of Das Damen (drummer Lyle Hasen and bassist David Motamed), the music of each is quite different. The Royal Arctic Institute are as interested in the spaces between sounds as they are in the chords themselves. And the group's latest, the elegant From Coma to Catharsis is full of sublime, ruminative pieces that work well without any rock histrionics.
"The Elated World" moves forward with the grace of a Harold Budd composition transposed to guitar, while "From Catnip to Coma" rides into the ear on subtle keyboards from Carl Baggaley. A hint of slide guitar from John Leon gives a feel like that of an old Calexico number. Elsewhere, "Passover Buckets" belongs to the rhythm section, despite flashes of keyboards and washes of guitar. The sound here is not entirely dissimilar to some recent Yo La Tengo recordings, and that makes perfect sense, on some level, since James McNew from YLT recorded this record.
Having seen The Royal Arctic Institute live recently, I think the band's music deserves a wider audience. There's nuance here, and a lot of space to get lost in. Things never get too heavy, and yet there's a complexity in the way things unfold with glacial precision at times. From Coma to Catharsis features tracks which open up a bit in a live setting, but which on record remain contemplative and enveloping. Fans of bands as diverse as The Blue Nile, Rain Tree Crow (ex-Japan), and, of course, Yo La Tengo, should find a lot to love here.
From Coma to Catharsis by The Royal Arctic Institute is out now. More details via the Bandcamp link below.
[Photo: Charlotte Hysen]