Member:
shadow
(Profile)
(All Album Reviews by shadow)
Date:
2/7/2008
Format:
CD (Album)
The L.A. duo of multi instrumentalists Sepand Samzadeh and Oscar Fuentes has been making musical waves since ’03 or thereabouts, but this eponymously titled mostly instrumental CD is their first official release.
Naming themselves after a Steve Erickson novel, Days Between Stations’ jamsy, oft-hypnotic self described “post prog” will invariably ring the space rock bell for us 40+ (i.e. me) crowd. Now, I realize that Mssrs. Feuntes and Samzadeh aren’t particularly comfortable with certain stylistic comparisons, but when my sixtysomething mama teeters in and ejaculates, “is that Pink Floyd?”, well, there’s obviously some validation to the idea, isn’t it? From the powerful extended vamps, the bluesy trans-galactic guitar, and overall dark shadings, Days Between Stations proudly don their chief influence. Sepand’s grandfather, a master of Persian classical musics, contributes agonized wordless vocalizations on the opening track “Requiem for the Living”, and Hollie Shepard gives Claire Torrey a run for her money on “Either/Or” (after Soren Kierkegaard’s famous tract on Existentialism). Dublin’s own Jason Hemmens chips in throughout with Dick Parry-like tenor sax breaks.
Days Between Stations is a true international/ multi cultural effort, comprising of musicians from Ireland, Iran, Argentina, as well as America—yet, the “world” potentialities of this particular recording are kept, for the most part, under wraps.
All in all, Days Between Stations gives us a well rounded take on “young” space rock (or post-prog, if you please) with a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of scenario and orchestrations. Reassuring to see that the genre is passing into competent hands.—Mathilda the Hun
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