Jack Shriner – Dismember/Remember
(2011, Self-Released)
On Dismember/Remember, Seattle-based Jack Shriner (as heard on Ball of Wax volumes 12 and 17) augments some pretty classic pop song conventions with smatterings of fuzz, synth outbursts and largely interesting instrumental asides. Opener “Corpus A.” is an odd, slinky, indie soul meditation a la mid-90’s Greg Dulli/Afghan Wigs that opens with an acutely dated, 80’s chorus-ey piano synth sound. “Family Quarry” is a breezy bossa nova ditty built on classic 2-5-1 chord changes peppered with more ’80s synth and progressively busy percussion. The fuzz bass, solid-state organ, and general Power Pop grooviness of “Motions” make it arguably the most satisfying track on the album, one that would sound and feel really good live.
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Dismember/Remember is tough to pin down; there are traces of Jeff Buckley, Talk Talk, Shearwater, and Cheap Trick scattered throughout, although the album feels less song-focused than those artists and more “studio-as-instrument” driven. Arrangement-wise, there’s a ton of stuff going on in almost every song, from textural undercurrents to codas to elaborate interludes. Not all of it works, however – like the half-hearted psychedelic guitars in the middle of “Reawakening Yeah” that makes a 3 and half minute song seem considerably longer. Jack Shriner brings his basket of songs and, one would expect, at least one bitchin’ pedal board to the Blue Moon Tavern in Seattle on July 14th.