These Are Powers: not your daddy’s post-punk music

Chicago/New York City-based rockers, These Are Powers will visit Richmond this Tuesday to promote their new CD, “Taro Tarot.” What little amount of musical imitation These Are Powers clings to, genres are irrelevant. The band’s strengths lie not where its allegiance to its predecessors are (“Sonic Youth,” “Animal Collective,” “Panda Bear”), but rather, in its solid ability to douse the ears in raw emotion.

Self-described as tribal, dance-punk, the band’s intent becomes evident early on. In the song, “All Night Services,” the darkness sets in with rusty creaks and clangs and synthetic and acoustic moans set to tribal drums and tambourines. Futuristic behemoths destructively careening through civilization come to mind as the grinding of the guitar becomes so intense, mental images begin to take shape.

“Chipping Ice” is another repetitive but emotionally intense tune, which is almost aurally offensive. The band breaks after the abrasively-rocking introduction to clear the phlegm from their throats. Anna Barie then bursts on to the scene with her primal voice while Bill Salas lays down some interesting walls of sound with his electro effects.

“Cockles” is the most epic of all the songs on “Taro Tarot.” The song is unlike the rest of the CD in that the development of the sections have slight relations to each other but still are varied enough to break the monotony. The children’s xylophone at the tail end of the song is slightly humorous and light-hearted.With a happy overtone to the work, “Cockles,” adds a much needed perspective to the rest of the album.

After an awkward experimental segue, the band descends back into the darkness with “Peel Some Off,” which features a three-note death call set on ancient drum patterns that are reminiscent of a Serengeti stampede. Barie’s gutteral singing returns to mimic the theme of the tune.

The final track has nice vocal variations from Salas. While the tune is a little less busy than the rest of the album, the angrily-energetic mood is still there. Similar effects and lines hearken back to “Cockles” toward the end.

Overall, the diversity of the album, while existent in its own respect, doesn’t really do it for me. The music, oddly enough, was a little too challenging and atonal but enjoyable after about a half-dozen listens. Whatever those electro, post-punk, experimental musicians are eating and drinking out there in Chicago and New York City, it will surely get into the drinking water soon enough.

Obviously a lot is lost in translation and if you want the full experience, go see These Are Powers at The Triple located at 3306 W. Broad St. this Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Grade: C+
Download (don’t steal): “Cockles” by These Are Powers