Listening on:
The upgraded sound system of a 2003 Subaru Forester, which means it’s from a time when automobiles were built with tape decks included in them. This happens to be the car I drove for most of high school. Somehow the speaker system survived that ordeal and has gone on to acquire a 6” subwoofer that loves rap music and some tweeters that don’t really do anything. I kind of miss driving this car sometimes, but definitely not paying for its gas. The dog didn’t come with the car. He showed up later. I do miss the dog.
The band:
Each Other is a trio of musicians based out of Montreal. I recently caught their live show at SXSW and they sounded very well-thought-out live. Hopefully they survived. The band initially self-released Taking Trips, but the Bushwick label Prison Art is now offering a lovely new edition.
The music:
Taking Trips harnesses psychedelic melodies to a lean post-punk framework that opts for aligning simple melodies against one another in ways that are tight enough to play off finely-drawn dissonances and harmonies on alternating notes. The guitar parts are thoroughly percussive, with garage twang rather than grunge clang, and the drums fill the rhythmic gaps, allowing the dual vocals to add complexity and emphasis as needed. It’s a jarring and smart approach that’s both enterprising and accessible.
How it sounds:
It certainly works as bop-your-head-around-in-the-car pop, but you’re going to miss a lot of the more subtle bits that way. I cheated and listened on headphones, I’ll admit. That or a home stereo are probably the way to go, if you’re into hunting nuances. Overall, the tape adds a septic touch that livens up the tracks and brightens the drum tones.
The full package:
At first glance, I thought that this was some sort of fireworks display involving a pile of rubble or a fairy nest, but no, it is a picture of light reflecting off rippling water beside a rocky shoreline. The packaging is basic and clean, and well printed. Simple “A” and “B” stamps mark the corresponding sides of the unadorned white cassette.
Listening:
“Goosing Statuses” is a manic trip with a good vocabulary.
“She Stole Second” listens like sobered up sludge psych on a diet, in a good way.
“Steam Scene” doubles as tape closer and crowd pleaser.
Taking Trips is available in an edition of 100 tapes from Prison Art.
