HALIFAX PIER:
"PUT YOUR GLOVES ON AND WAVE"
(Temporary Residence)

Poised between rustic atmospherics and chamber ensemble mannerisms, Halifax Pier draws upon '90s underground sounds as well as '70s prog-rock influences. On "Put Your Gloves On and Wave", the six-piece band (bass, drums, cello, violin and two guitars) plays six intricately structured compositions, half of them instrumentals. Jaime Reeder's violin is most prominent in the mix, often seemingly engaged in dialogue with Claire Monty's cello. "That Old Grizzly Thing" starts out thusly in ¾ time, the other instruments coming in later and building to a surprisingly powerful climax for a band with a sound more acoustic than electric. The album has a sort of avant-rural feel, related to Rex or Feelies spin-off Speed the Plough. "Sew Your Gloves On," one of the more memorable tracks, sounds like a radical deconstruction and reassembly of Robert Fripp's "Breathless" into an original composition that still shows noticeable traces of its inspirational source. Throughout "Put Your Gloves On and Wave" there is an intriguing contrast between delicate strings and a strong rhythm section, setting up a creative tension that stands up well to repeated listening. ---Mike C.