By: Michael Madavi
Do Make Say Think
“Do” (mp3)
from “Other Truths”
(Constellation)
More On This Album
These days Canada has been developing sort of a draw for me: great hockey, friendly folks, nationalized healthcare, and (more relevantly) a slew of fantastic indie bands that have given our northern neighbor something truly great to boast about. Do Make Say Think is just one of the many, but more and more, the group has come to stand out from the fray. Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, the experimental post-rock group has been creating some wonderful and fascinating instrumental music since it’s formation in 1995. As it would seem these days most bands in Canada’s independent music scene are more than one or two degrees of separation from the enchanted indie powerhouse Arts & Crafts records, a couple of Do Make Say Think’s members, mainly Charles Spearing and Ohad Benchetrit, are contributors to the music of Broken Social Scene, Feist, and Valley of the Giants (with Spearin having even deeper burrowing roots with the label, having worked on BSS’s precursor, KC Accidental). Clearly their time in these groups as well as various other side projects have provided the members of DMST ample time and experience, leading them to hone their vision for each venture more precisely and with more potent results.
The group’s newest release, Other Truths (out now on Constellation records) may well be their boldest project yet. A daring new concept album that focuses on delivering powerful, long journeys rather than many short bursts, Other Truths weighs in at a mere 4 songs in total, which would suggest the record is of EP qualifications, but don’t be fooled; this is a full length LP as each song is a lengthy story waiting to be told. All of the four tracks, all titled after one of the words in the band’s name (which they adopted from the words written on the four walls of their first rehearsal space in an elementary school), clock in over 8 minutes with half clearing the twelve-minute mark. Each song feels more like a massive painting, much to overwhelming in substance to truly appreciate up close, yet filled with so many wonderful little details, you’d miss so much if you tried to take it all at once.
The only way left to approach it is to spend time with the record; learn each song and it’s entombed emotional treasure contained within each epic, sweeping movement or rapidly pieced together by complicated, challenging instrumentation. For the most part it’s instrumental, with only the rare gang vocal or hymn-like chant to accompany the music (featuring guests Akron/Family and guitarist Justin Small’s other band Lullabye Arkestra). All four songs have different tones and contain multiple movements within: “Do” is an upbeat opener that lifts you up then slowly descends into one of the album’s thickest, most epic moments with fuzz in tow. “Make” highlights the group’s impeccable sense of timing and features some skillful jazz based drumming that’s applied to a totally different musical setting; it also builds to a pretty epic moment. Both tracks feature great guitar work that’s in line with such alternative guitar heroes as the Kinsella brother’s work (American Football, Cap’n Jazz, and especially Ghosts and Vodka). “Say” takes a darker beginning and transforms it into (surprisingly and somehow) a more comforting, welcoming environment. Think is a soft, beautiful dream powered again by jazz-brushwork on the drums and reverberated, vibrato twisted guitar lines; all in all, a very fitting end to such a rich album. Like I said before, it’s hard to sum up all the great things about this record on a first listen; one must really take the time to notice the beautiful details and qualities to the record.
If you’re looking to take a break from the lyrically-driven or just need some fantastic, original instrumental music to help you clear your thoughts, this one’s definitely for you.
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