Hard Shell to Crack (Standards - Tortoise)

Member Name: paolozzi

Product:	Standards - Tortoise
Date:	05/04/01 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funky, weird, original, attention grabbing

Disadvantages: maybe too jazzy for some

Tortoise are an instrumental band who are about to become a more household name after this, their latest album, Standards. It has already been hailed as one of their most accomplished albums to date, and its about time too. Tortoise have been consistently producing innovative works since the early '90s.

"Seneca", the opening track, is two songs in one. It starts with a belly thumping drum beat (which should only be listened to before dinner), and then merges - somehow - into the main riff, spooky tacky keyboards accompanying. It all sounds SO weird, yet very funky and... (dare I say it?) ... Jazzy?!!

Indeed, the whole album has an underlying jazziness to it. Its fruity and rich. Each song has clearly had a lot of thought put into it, both in the structuring of the tunes and the production, with every little squeak in the studio being picked up. But it still manages to sound free and improvised. The result is an album which holds your attention from start to finish.

"Firefly" is one particularly good example of how Tortoise can suprise you, both with its sound and structure (or lack of structure?). Just what they used to make some of those noises, i dont know!

It is refreshing to hear a band such as Tortoise with as much creative energy as they have technical ability. And in a world of Radioheads and Travis' its good to hear a band which seem to have a more positive outlook on life and music, and dont go around telling everyone how depressed they are!!

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