After a full day of drinking coffee and thinking about the ending of LOST. I sit down to listen one more time to The Syllable Section, a two-piece experimental group from Chicago, and their album "Linear Views". From the first track entitled "Lazy Life", one would be convinced that this is a band that is meant to be "chilled" with. A little listening to their stuff and you will soon realize that you would have to be on many illicit drugs to relax or even understand this band.
The album moves at an unpredictable pace with some of the most random, and at sometimes gratuitous, time signature changes. The best way to describe it would be a high school prom where everyone was loaded with Dramamine. Most of the instrumentation is done by conventional instruments, drums, guitar, bass etcetera. However they also include instruments that sound like you are walking through a strange amusement park of a time long gone. I’ll admit this is creative but not what I expected in any way shape or form.
There is one song on the album (Direction and Go) that it is so discordant at times that I honestly had to stop it and take a break. It does set a perfect example for how the rest of the songs flow, parts that sound like they are going somewhere followed by curveball changes ala Mars Volta and early Modest Mouse.
In the end the songs would be enjoyable only on certain aforementioned substances. If you are looking for a band that delivers predictable music, or you want songs with distinguishable rhythm I would stay away from this band. You would have to appreciate music on another level to like this band, and I really mean another level. – Nick Coamey