Alvin Band Mantis Preying/Lady Portrait EP (Intelligent Noise; 2009)
An odd discovery of mine, Alvin Band, the experimental project of Southern California-based Rick Alvin Schaier, jumped out at me from a record store shelf on one of my last days in Portland last month. It was its bizarro album cover that grabbed me—an image of the back of, ostenstibly, Schaier’s head, with cut out eyes, nose and mouth, set against a Persian rug, that sets the tone for the music within.
Mantis Preying is dubbed as a “vocal composition” by the twenty-one-year-old Schaier, who uses the template of Björk’s Medulla, a highly processed a cappella record, and applies it to the sonic explorations of Animal Collective and their disciples. Mantis hits the ground running with opening single, “Temple Pressure”, a downright joyous event of a song, bursting at the seams with blissed-out harmonies and thumping beats (provided solely through slapping his body and beat-boxing). From there, the conceptual aspect of the album comes through, and Schaier’s record becomes a full-on stream of consciousness, a musical trip through his mad, mad, mad mind. It is just fantastically odd.
Unfortunately, Animal Collective’s influence is unshakeable from the album, as Schaier’s voice matches, down to intonation and melodic phrasing that ofPanda Bear. But this is not to diminish Mantis—Schaier’s album stands up on its own as one of the most complex records put to tape in some time. The vocal gymnastics he achieves, not to mention making an a cappella album sound so fucking full, are too impressive to ignore, or bury under his influences. He has, in many ways, expanded the AC sound by ramping up the Beach Boys-inflected melodies and harmonies, and applying the beat-heavy elements of their current Merriweather Post Pavillion era to the more frantic, unpredictable style of their earlier work.
“Frantic” and “unpredictable” are apt adjectives for Mantis Preying, but for Schaier, it’s probably a badge of honor. Unfortunately, it does not always work. The accompanying six-song EP, Lady Portrait, answers the question of how Alvin Band sounds with actual instruments, and the result is completely underwhelming. There is simply too much going on to keep track. When limiting himself to the sounds of his own body, when given constraints, Schaier pulls incredible feats; when given all the options in the world, the sound is cluttered, indulgent and, quite frankly, annoying.
Granted, this EP is comprised of early recordings, and it is evident that lessons have been learned. Songs like the aforementioned “Temple Pressure” and “Cyberspace 2008” are real-live songs, with choruses, verses and catchy melodies. And though Mantis Preying, the album, works best as a cohesive whole, Schaier just barely keeps it together.
It’s an impressive balancing act to watch unfold. And a hell of a lot of fun to listen to.
Mantis Preying LP: A-
Lady Portrait EP: C-
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