Be The Cyclone That I Need: A Review Of The New One From Infinite River (His Name Is Alive, Detroit Cobras, Etc.)

Press materials for the new Infinite River record stress that Tabula Rasa, out now, is what the band sounds like live. That's great. Given how much I loved the first and second albums from this group, I'm glad their vision is now more fully translating to their albums.

The musicians here -- Gretchen Gonzales (Universal Indians, Slumber Party, Terror at the Opera), Warren Defever (His Name is Alive, ESP Beetles), Joey Mazzola (Detroit Cobras, Sponge, Sugarcoats), and special guest Steve Nistor (Sparks, Ural Thomas, Seedsmen to the World) -- use Infinite River as a device to transmit some cosmic truths. The fury of "Sky Diamonds Raga" gives way to the space blues of "Stars Above" and a listener is aloft. There's noticeably more cohesion here, with the trio and associated players and guests, driving this forward with renewed purpose.

While earlier records placed a premium on mood, this one seems to be settling on finding grooves and riding them into the sun. "Astro Cat #9", for example, is centered on a borderline hypnotic guitar hook, one only strengthed by the noise and thumping drums behind it. That synergy between players reaches a peak on the wonderfully-titled "Be The Cyclone That I Need", a furious work-out. This is borderline acid rock, unhinged from the trappings of some of the bands that some of these players were in earlier.

Tabula Rasa stands on its own. It reveals the power of Infinite River, while sort of acting as a counterpoint to the trio's earlier offerings. Aside from a graceful exploration of "My Favorite Things", it's not too moody, but it's also a good deal more straightforward than anything they've put out so far. The spark of creation running though this is contagious, and I loved hearing something that the players were so clearly having fun putting together. Fierce, sharp, and full of noisy bits, this may be the most engaging Infinite River record yet.

Tabula Rasa by Infinite River is out now via Birdman Records.

[Photo: Doug Combe]