Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words
A line: align
Mystery Sea
Two steps forward, one step back? Fans of the elegant dronepop majesty of "Fall, fall falling" will see this CDR release as a disappointing regression, but those of us who are familiar and appreciative of earlier Dead Letters works will not be daunted. Consisting of three dark and dingy long-form pieces for a grand total of forty-nine minutes, "A line: align" is in fact a throwback to Thomas Ekelund's roots and it is not without its rewards as there are definitely moments of great beauty rising from within the filth. Opener "At Keiller's Park (Summer 2006)" is the weakest of the bunch in that takes far too long to get going, often abandoning themes just as soon as they begin to take hold. Patience is eventually rewarded, though not nearly as well as I'd like. The other two however, fare much better in comparison by adhering to a far more concise narrative arc, not to mention a vastly increased level of volume. As much as I appreciate the subtle crackle of processed field recordings, it's the dull, aching throb of pure noise that affects me most, both mentally and physically. When a melody emerges from the squall and I can feel it tingling all the way down to my toes, that's magic. Ultimately, "A line: align" doesn't compete with any of the "proper" Dead Letters full-lengths, but I don't think it intends to. As a way station to whatever comes next, it'll do just fine.
- Avi Roig
