The Body are out with another noise-centric album, The Crying Out Of Things, through their label Thrill Jockey Records. The Body are a two-decades-old duo made up of Chip King, vocals and guitar, and Lee Buford, playing percussion and wielding electronics. The two worked closely with engineer Seth Manchester to produce a record teeming with manic, industrial soundscapes.
The album’s release couldn’t come at a more perfect time or be more aptly titled. It’s a welcome release of the pressure that builds up inside your head when a shit storm is raining outside … It bursts the bubble of chaos and allows it to consume you in a way that feels therapeutic. While many of the songs are distorted and may seem sporadically unintentional at times, each song has been carefully curated from their years of experience and culminated from their past works. If you listen closely, you can make out a broad range of instruments used throughout the record including 808 kick drums, dissonant horns, tambourine, hulking drums, and more.
“I think for us, the key to the way we use noise is, it’s not the only element,” says Buford. “You’ve gotta really listen if you’re into noise. But it also has to have dynamics. Where, say, BIG|BRAVE, (who have a similar ethos) expresses it in this more intellectual, minimalist way, The Body comes from an instinctual, maximalist way. We’re trying to cover it ALL.”
There’s no doubt that The Body create unique compositions in the world of heavy music. The band prides themselves on being able to harness an expanse of abrasive sounds and through that create a narrative, what they refer to as putting a multitude of expressions on display. Theirs is a niche that one must have the right palette for and be able to understand the nuances that go into every track. King expels his blood-curdling screams to create a mild sense of horror and like any good scary movie, the thrill brings you back for more.
Tracklist
- Last Things
- Removal
- Careless and Worn
- A Premonition
- Less Meaning
- The Citadel Unconquered
- End Of Line
- The Building
- All Worries
Photo courtesy of The Body, shot by Zachary Harrell Jones
