This band of instrumental architects hails from New England and consists of Chelsey Hahn and Chad Jewett (formerly of Lions Club) and Will Mulheron (formerly of Airplane, 1929). They have pieced together an interesting collection of sounds and lyrics, and while neither outshines the other, their orchestral choices immediately stand out.
The title track opens the CD as the blueprint for Perennial: a few seconds of disorderly horns and strings leads into a full-throttle punk beat. The pandemonium creates tension, then fails to resolve with anything less than bedlam. My adrenaline surge is nearly piqued by the end of "Fauves," the second track from Perennial. Track three kicks in with a recitation that appeals to my own sense of symmetry.
My heart is a pile of leavesThus, you have "Evergreen, un deux troit" with its steady chant and jazz-like improv. "The Witching Witching Witching Hour Blues" channels The Doors lesser known works, my personal favorites as they were untainted by Hollywood and its damnable silver screen. Leading from that mellow moment is a Dead Kennedy-esque tune "Hippolyte," followed by "Welton 69," which drops straight into the grunge movement of the late 90s then leaves you hanging with a few string plucks for about a minute. As Perennial progresses I don't know whether I'm supposed to thrash to it, or flip the switch on my black light and stare at my lava lamp.
My heart is a pile of leaves
My heart is a pile of leaves
Underneath the apple tree
Underneath the apple tree
Underneath the apple tree
Each time I think I have The Symmetry of Autumn Leaves figured out, they pull some maddening auditory gymnastics. Perennial is like a curious ensemble of oddly matched mates; no one knows why they work, but they form the couple everyone wants to be like. This sublime dichotomy is not soothing, but rather sets the neurons afire with possibility, and that is what art should do.
Perennial is a quirky little bit of fun and worth a listen. You can check it out on The Symmetry of Autumn Leaves' Bandcamp page now. Follow, like and love them here:
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