I was somewhat surprised to learn that
this slow-moving (but sporadically urgent) post-rock-cum-slowcore
act has no relationship to Chicago's L'Altra, as the two
share a rather striking likeness of sound. Perhaps I shouldn't be so
surprised; any fly-by-night mopey outfit can slide chiming guitar
churns, cello drones, piano notes, and vacant-eyed vox into
expansive song structures (especially gargantuan “Descension”). But
few execute their tropes with as much, um, success, as these folks.
Sure, the formula is a perilous one – put simply, the combo is a
cut-and-dry recipe for severe tedium – but this able septet (along
with their Chicagoan doppelgangers) manage to stay on the sweeter
side of the absolute sopor which the bulk of slowcore tends to
elicit.
So I will concede that a fair
proportion of Carta's instrumental diversions fall into that
unfortunate friend-zone of comfortable familiarity – in other words,
background/bedtime music. Be forewarned: You've heard all the
elements of “Prettier at Night” and “Who Killed the Clerk” before,
on records by Windsor for the Derby, Explosions in the Sky,
Labradford, and, yes, L'altra. Even the satisfying
breakthrough on “The Likeness is Undeniable” lacks raucous
propulsion due to its obeyance of post-rock protocol. Which isn't to
say I don't enjoy the tracks; hell, the juicy chords on “Sidereal”
prove a tasty climax
time and time again. But if we're going to be scientific about it,
we'll have to concede that Carta can be a tad, harumph, derivative.
But then there's the occasional song
songs – you know, the ones with words in 'em – and here's where
Carta strikes with most potency. The aforementioned “Descension,” an
unmitigated epic at just over eleven minutes, is a powerful if
somewhat superlative adventure that could be regarded as this
record's finest achievement; it pulls out all the stops, at least.
Shifting “Building Bridges,” meanwhile, brandishes a supreme, dark
melody which renders it the most immediately memorable track on
here. Elsewhere, “Back to Nature” is an odd Slint/Sonic
Youth nod, which somehow isn't as out of place as one might
presume.
Anyhow, I'm not fond
of conclusions. If you like post-rock, slowcore, wallowing around
but periodically rocking out, Aesthetic Records, the Latin word for
"paper," and/or generally agreeable music, you're likely to find
something to smile about on An Index of Birds. That should
just about cover it.