Few bands have had the courage to effectively follow in the footsteps of Talk Talk and even fewer have had the nous to crossbreed their sound with elements of alternative rock, no wave and even jazz in the way that Baylies Band, an outfit hailing from Bedford, Massachssetts, have successfully managed to do. With a substantial discography already on offer (eleven releases to date) and a self proclaimed love of noisy art rock, Baylies Band are celebrating their twentieth anniversary with Kafkaesque, a record that is as gloriously oblique in its approach to genre as the titular author.
The six-track album kicks off with the fuzzed-up electronica of Head on Collision, a heady brew of spluttering synths, somnolent beats and Ranaldo-esque vocals. The production, which is gorgeous by the way, brings out each element with impressive clarity and the band’s hazy soundscaping effortlessly hooks the listener, the scattershot guitar sounds filtered through banks of effects and allowed to swirly through the mix in a way that makes headphone listening a must. FAQ sees the aforementioned influences come to the fore, the semi-spoken vocal reminiscent of once in a lifetime, although explosive passages evoke a more febrile atmosphere, whilst Chris Devona’s keys sound like a key-off between John Lord and Ray Manzarek. The band’s mischievous sense of humour emerges more clearly on Macauley Culkin Stole My Phone, a brutally distorted take on Syd Barret-esque psychedelia best played at foundation-threatening volume. With No Wave influences very much represented in the sprawling, stream-of-conscious vocal, Macauley Culkin Stole My Phone is an EP highlight, although it’s up against some admittedly tough competition.
Opening the second half, the hazy synths of warriors (a reference to the film of the same name) rub up against reverb-washed guitars and jazz-infused percussion, the band adopting a woozy jazz vibe that slowly devolves as the synth drones give way to ever more aggressive riffing. The unconventionally conventional shaving my balloon (oddball title) comes as something as a surprise, the synth pads and soloing straight out of mid-period Genesis via Flaming lips, as if the band consistently delight in wrong-footing their audience. It’s a surprisingly beautiful song, albeit played with a twinkle in its eye, and it leads the listener neatly to album closer, Iceland, an eight-minute synth-stomp that injects elements of punk into the mix and leaves the listener well-satisfied at the creativity on offer.
A swirling, energetic album that consistently challenges the listener to redefine their expectation of the band, the aptly-titled Kafkaesque is a boldly inventive mix of genres from a talented band. Fans of the unexpected should head to the band’s Bandcamp page and get a hold of a copy, they won’t regret it. 8.5
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