Kayo Dot
Coyote
(Hydra Head Records)
Based in New York City, experimental rock band Kayo Dot brings forth the amplified avant garde with their latest release, Coyote. Now, I’ve always been a firm believer that the terms “experimental†or “avant garde†in regards to music go hand in hand with patience and interpretation. For this style of music there are some who hear nothing but masterful free-form arrangements. Then there are others who simply don’t “get it.†As far as Coyote goes, I found myself in the unfortunate group of people who don’t “get it.â€
I wanted to enjoy this release, hoping it was building up to some explosion of musical bliss but the eruption never came. To me, Coyote came across more like an impromptu jam session that wasn’t sure where it was going. Instruments kind of drearily drone on throughout as if lost at sea. And although the band offers a variety of sounds, they often seem like they’re each doing their own thing (vocals included), which doesn’t compliment the composition.
Experimental offerings with a dark feel tend to work better for me, like Scott Walker’s The Drift, which can make you feel like you’ve lost your mind. Coyote has that dark, New Orleans funeral vibe to it but there just isn’t enough going on. That’s not to say simple can’t be effective but Coyote at times borders monotony and somehow only Philip Glass makes that work. Some stronger material mixed in with the slower sections would make this a more enjoyable experience in my opinion.
