(Don't) Bring The Noise!
In Milos Forman's 1984 epic movie, Amadeus, there is a scene in which, after watching the first opera that is commissioned from Mozart, Emperor Joseph II makes the criticism that there are "too many notes" to make the musical movement enjoyable. This is of course a travesty – Mozart was, even then, one of the world's prominent musical figures and one whose influence and style would inspire scores of others. However, it is with this very same argument that "Arcs Across The City" doesn't work, and actually ends up as nothing more than a prolonged headache.
An important thing to remember is that if you're going to release a records with guerrilla minimalist production then you need to keep it simple. A look back through musical history states this well, Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True, The Clash eponymous debut and, more recently, the works of The White Stripes have a raw energy that can only be found with a lack of studio gloss. But when you over complicate things by adding multi-tracked instruments, complicated arrangements and extra vocals, it becomes chaotic and disjointed.
It's a shame because the musical direction and vision from the band is one to be admired. You find yourself, for the first two tracks at least, persevering with "Arcs Across The City" because you expect to suddenly "get" it. In light of this, the crazily titles "Champagne Girls That I Have Known" fairs quite well, has a tub-thumping chorus and some great instrumental parts to boot. Sadly though, this feeling of generosity dissipates relatively quickly when you find that there is no depth to any of the songs. The next sounds pretty much the same as the last, with the exception of "The Band Is Killing Us" which manages to confuse introspective difference to confusing boredom.
If it were possible to comment on the lyrical content of the songs then this review would do so, but the truth is that you can barely make out more than two words sung together. And that just about sums up the problem with "Arcs Across The Sky". The songwriting may well be of a quality that makes you crave for more but its so buried in a world of raucous clatter that you will never find it. But there is promise for the band yet. If they were to rethink what they hope to achieve and learn that dropping some of the distortion, instruments and screaming then it would not make them any less vital or exciting – it would make them into an act that the world would love. But at the moment this simply is not the case.