Quentin Stoltzfus makes a long-awaited return to the stage tonight at Fleisher-Ollman Gallery for the closing reception of "A Complete Die, etc." The former centerpiece of Mazarin, who released 3 LP’s over a seven-year run 1999-2006, dropped out of the public eye after the psych-rock outfit disbanded due to a naming conflict with a wedding band from upstate New York and other issues. His new venture called Light Heat finds Stoltzfus combining forces with members of local favorites The Walkmen, whose Walter Martin appeared on We’re Already There, and Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
“And the Birds” the project’s lead single is a testament to Stoltzfus retro rock/pop sensibility. Uniting crafty organ and keys with percussion that provide a solid structure and direction while still allowing the vocals and lyrics to shine through. The harmonies develop a depth without attempting to overachieve. This early peek at Light Heat is an indication that Stoltzfus still has a lot to offer to our thriving local music scene. (BTW: He also tweeted that he’ll be pre-gaming at Oscar’s before the show if anyone would like to join him.) Fleisher-Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut St., 7pm, Free, All Ages, - Michael Colavita
For those who decide whether to come or go based on the first forty seconds of an album, Restorations’ LP2 is practically tailor-made for snap judgments. After a chiming, anthemic guitar opening, the band already known for fist-raising jams lets all hell break loose with “D,” their most unrestrained opener yet. The drum kit-mauling, earth-shaking bass lines and ascendant guitar riffs can only be described as complete sensory overload, and make it clear that the following eleven songs are going to be fueled by pure viscera. If your preferences run towards structure over huge sound, this release may leave you cold; LP2’s predominant means of exploring the band’s wealth of ideas are stadium-sized instrumentation and endless waves of atmospherics, as well as a dose of ennui.
This is a murkier, more inward-looking Restorations than we’re used to. Everything that was there before, musically, is blown sky-high this time around. They’ve managed to pack ideas into every iota of the song list, aided by Jon Low’s miles-deep production; the density of the music itself is offset by an album-long meditation on place, belonging, and the ramifications of leaving the familiar behind, which makes the outsized sound that much more of an interesting direction. Juxtaposing the existential discomfort with more sophisticated, complex forays into Restorations’ sonic wheelhouse.
The spiraling guitars, one of the album’s specially prominent features, are everywhere, serving various purposes in each song. “Kind of Comfort”’s jittery glam rock aspirations accompany lyrics of searching and wanderlust. Even the more downbeat cuts (“In Perpetuity Through The Universe,” “New Old”) are propelled beyond their subject matter by the songs’ barely-concealed restless energy. At its more pensive moments, like the folk-inflected “Civil Inattention,” there is a restless undercurrent of texture and volatility that never quite lets up.
Album closer “Adventure Tortoise” is all monster buildup laced with extraterrestrial effects, kicking off into a sort of requiem for the band’s neighborhood. “I’d really like to stay to help this place,” growls Jon Loudon through his teeth, but the allure of letting it all go is too strong to resist. The longing for a place “where nobody knows your name” isn’t quite all-consuming enough to inspire real action, but it is definitely the new paradigm Loudon means.
It takes guts to pull off a release that feels ten minutes long but contains more emotional and musical texture than most records. Restorations cover a whole lot of ground on LP2, and for the most part, pull off their ambitions. A bit too sanguine for shoegaze, and maybe too heady for punk, Restorations’ second full-length album brings an intriguing palette of aspirations to their open road-ready sound, prepared to try anything and everything. - Alyssa Greenberg
