Austin Sound

Reviewing an album isn’t an easy task; sometimes, it seems like reviewing an album is harder and more arduous (or at least time consuming) than writing and recording one. Case in point: Coma in Algiers’ sophomore release, Your Heart Your Body. One of the more established noise rockers in a city more attuned towards country and blues rock, Coma in Algiers is a tough nut to crack, a hard meal to digest, and an acid tab slow to absorb. Keyboardist/vocalist Killshire and keyboardist/bassist/vocalist Archbold’s founding inspirational moment is self described as how the two of them were “listening to the Electric Eels and were full of disgust & joy for their lack of talent” — and it’s hard to know if that’s the Electric Eels lack of talent or Killshire and Archbold’s own self assessment.

Fast-forward a few years to a second release of bone rattling garage rock and it’s clear that Coma in Algiers isn’t lacking for noise making talent. On Your Heart Your Body, the band cuts through twelve tracks that were purportedly recorded live in one session. It may have taken the band only hours to record the album, but it’ll take listeners days (if not weeks or months) to unwrap the chaos. The amazing thing is that since the album was recorded live, there likely aren’t many (if any) overdubs yet even on the most simplistic of songs (such as opener “Why Why Why”), it sounds like there are 10 (and not 5) musicians doing their thing. The songs are just accessible enough as garage rock, technically proficient to sound like a controlled maelstrom, and veering and lurching enough to keep things interesting.

Stylistically, Coma in Algiers runs the gamut on Your Heart Your Body and no one will ever confuse them of being a one trick pony. On the aforementioned album opener as well as songs like “Something’s Amiss”, Coma in Algiers sounds like a great garage punk band following in the footsteps of bands like Dead Moon. Then again, maybe the band shouldn’t be so disgusted with their own talent, because on songs like “Come Fall” and “Possess It”, the band runs off on some sort of dark no wave trip that will likely scare the shit out of children everywhere. And that’s not even mentioning the howls, moans, grunts, and screams on “Trojan Horse”. A churning psychedelic tribal beatdown of what was probably once a simpler-kinder-gentler rocker, “Trojan Horse” is a fantastic climax and reward for a few hours in the studio, a week mainlining a record for a review, or a lifetime creating havoc with instruments.

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