Few bands in the world can combine Midwestern sensibilities, postmodernism and Wurlitzers to create an accessible brand of music. Chicago’s Make Believe are doing just that.
Their new album, Going to the Bone Church, is slightly more reserved – both lyrically and musically – from past projects. But it is still an exercise in their ongoing efforts to conjure unprecedented tonalities and lyrically define existence.
Musically, Make Believe’s sound has always been a referendum on the post-hardcore bands that emerged in the late ’80s. The intricate and howling guitar parts that epitomize the genre are a staple of Make Believe’s sonic assault, but rather than allowing the songs to noisily degenerate into fifteen- minute-long instrumentals, they structure their songs precisely. The band has created an entirely original style of music.
\nMake Believe singer/songwriter Tim Kinsella, veteran of many bands (Cap’n Jazz, Owls, The Sky Corvair and Joan of Arc), never stops working and seems only to be getting better with age. His combination of a cunning intellect, a preternatural musical ability and ceaseless productivity puts him in a realm of respect in the music world attained by very few individuals.
\nSam Zurick’s percussive and labyrinthian guitar melodies are at the center of every song. Drummer/keyboardist Nate Kinsella and bassist Bobby Burg play together perfectly, creating an elaborate, intricate and genuinely captivating rhythm.
\nThe three work together to create a strange, though ultimately successful, brand of music that is simultaneously fractured and euphonic. Song structure, though slightly tangential, is always catchy.
\nThe songs "For Lauri Bird" and "Wearin’ Torn" exemplify both the incredible complexity and excellence of Sam Zurick’s guitar playing and Tim Kinsella’s ability to combine his avant-garde vocals with such chaotic riffing – an ability honed through their years of performing together in various bands.
\nThe spellbinding orchestration of "(I can’t understand) Satisfaction," a retooling of the Rolling Stones’ song, and the harmonious chorus of "Just Green Enough" are slight departures from Make Believe’s customary aural barrage, but work to relax the listener and give the album, as a whole, more depth.
\nThe only downside to the album is its brevity: the ten tracks clock in at just over thirty minutes. The songs are arranged to flow into one another in such a way that, before you know it, the album is over and you are listening to it again.
Going to the Bone Church is an excellent and necessary listen if you have ever enjoyed any Kinsella project. If you are unfamiliar with their work, it’s about time you picked up one of their albums, and you might as well start with this one.
