Balam Acab, aka
Alec Koone, released his first EP, "
See Birds", to critical acclaim in 2010 (for example, the
Pitchfork review). Herbert turned me on to this a few years ago and I had to get my own copy. It's tempting to discount this EP because Koone wasn't an established artist (and arguably still isn't), but I have to give it my highest possible score because it was a shocking eye opener for me, sounding nothing like what I was used to. Created with "found" (on the Internet) music samples, Koone creates a rich, subtle, and surprisingly warm sound. I can't help but compare it to, say, "
What Does Your Soul Look Like" ca. 1994. Another stylistic comparison would be The Caretaker's "
Persistent Repetition of Phrases", but with different source material.
Apparently the "new" sound of which he was a part earned the label "
witch house", which was applied at least partially in jest. I'm not going to argue for or against that label, but I will say this is a compelling new style of music that demands a listen. Unfortunately, while his 2011 full length LP "
Wander / Wonder" is good, it fails to continue the magic introduced on this EP.
Standout songs: all:
See Birds (Moon),
Regret Making Mistakes,
Big Boy,
Dream Out,
See Birds (Sun); all five songs as a
playlist.
Skip 'em songs: none
Final score: 10/10
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