Crouched Head
November 2005

When I tell you that this is an electro-acoustic record by a guy in Montreal, you probably already know what to expect. But “Crouched Head” is different; this is electro-acoustic music with soul. Yes, there is some great atmospheric noise swells and what not, and if you are looking for a moody chunk of sound to pass away your cloudy afternoon, this will satisfy your needs; look no further than opener “CH New Year” and “Wake Me.” But where the album gets interesting is when Josh Zubot pushes his electro-acoustic craft into the trip-hop playing field, where he busts out some rough drum beats, percussion and even melody. The secret weapon happening here is Zubot’s father Orville, who layers the album with some soulful and acid-jazz flavored saxophone. In addition to Zubot’s junk-drawer list of noisemakers, including “laptop, mandolin, piano, Korg synth, analog tape, QY70, drum kit, old turntables, minidisk, accordion, sax, violin,” it’s the expert saxophone playing that makes Crouched Head worth listening to. And that doesn’t mean the album is made solely on the saxophone performances, it merely showcases Zubot’s skill as a compositionist. Everything is placed so well within the mix that it never turns into a mess, and better yet, it never sounds like an electro-acoustic guy trying to go pop; it just sounds good. – Ty Warner

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