Crooked Necks zip so many curveballs at the listener it’s best to sit back and collect one’s thoughts when undergoing immersion into their world. Helmed by Shane Church (who also leads noise drillers Hostage Pageant) and a dude named Andy, Crooked Necks flirt with all manner of avant expression and end up nestled softly in a nook all their own. Then again, “softly” might not be the correct word. While there are plenty of hushed, whispered elements afoot, a constant barrage of throat lunges add an intensity you might expect from a distortion-less Envy record.
Sometimes it takes a noise musician to further the cause. Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t pushes things forward by adding thick coats of black-metal atmosphere and spry screaming to an instrumental template owing to shoegaze (via Slowdive, Ride), post-rock (Mogwai, Tarantel, Explosions In The Sky), and post-metal (I’m thinking Isis/Red Sparrowes). When you smelt the elements together, the result is a concoction that steps on a lot of rusty nails. History tells us that, save a few delightful exceptions, subdued guitars/bass/drums don’t mix well with wild wolf calls, yet Crook-Neck undertake the task constantly and come out unscathed. The wisps of clean, whispered vocals work wonders as well, redolent of Hundred Hands’ Christopher Crisci (also of Appleseed Cast, whose best work also factors in here) and an effective counterpoint to the shrieking sprays of spittle.
Will “blackgaze” become a Thing? Who gives a fuck? Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t is an LP that will, if it already hasn’t, find its legs in the underground as people slowly become aware of it. The musicians involved obviously treasure the sacridity (I just made up that word, but you get it right?) of their music, so you should too. It’s got too much originality to stay a secret for long; enjoy it, as the imitators will be many.
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