Manatees - Untitled
Motivesounds Records - S90140 - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
'Cinematic' is a word that seems to come up fairly often whenever someone describes the output of one of the many, many slowcore/Neurisis/whatever-we're-calling-them-this-week bands that have sprung up since
Isis'
Oceanic made everyone sit up and take notice. It's not as oblique an adjective as some may think, given music's ability to conjure images for the listener, but it is one that gets somewhat overused. In the case of
Manatees'
Untitled, the descriptor is perfectly apt. This album sounds like the OST to an unreleased film - a flowing, undulating soundscape in five movements. The songs - titled
'i',
'ii',
'iii',
'iiii' and
'iiiii' - flow together seamlessly. This is an album meant to be absorbed completely, not dipped in and out of.
The influences are worn on the members' sleeves, to be sure - the eight-and-a-half minute mark of
'i' showcases a two-note bass riff and drumming pattern taken almost directly from
Oceanic, and the more instrumentally intricate moments on the album positively reek of
Pelican - but the application of those influences coupled with
Manatees' own vision is what makes
Untitled such a rewarding listen. There's a diversity in the material within this album that other, superficially similar acts haven't touched in their entire careers - sprawling, cavernous, wailing wind-tunnel vortex one moment, playful bassline and Danny Carey-esque tribal drumming at another, a sound collage of looped, cut and edited movie samples, a track built around the vocal refrain
"We are all forgotten", screamed and chanted, again and again... Recalling standout moments in
Untitled is like describing your favourite scenes from a movie.
Perhaps more than any other band in this genre (loosely-defined though it undoubtedly is),
Manatees may not be for everyone - it could be construed as too damned arty and weird for some. But for those willing to allow the band to draw back the curtain, dim the lights and start up the projector,
Untitled is, musically speaking, an Oscar-worthy effort.
8.5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Manatees' Official Myspace Site
Motivesounds' Official Website
