[Ball of Wax 31, as previously announced, will feature 15 local songwriters and bands all covering each other’s songs. Between now and the release show on March 9th, I will share the originals with you to provide a little background, and perhaps a deeper appreciation of the CD and show. (Which is March 9th. Did I mention that? March 9th. Columbia City Theater.) We’re posting the cover versions on Bandcamp, where you can pre-order the CD now.]
Slow Skate’s original version of “Hourglass” has a surprisingly icy and sinister opening for a band known for their intimate, organic arrangements. The claustrophobic drum machine and fuzzy synth bass evoke the soundtrack to one of Brian De Palma’s early 80’s films, uptight and on edge. As Caitlin Sherman’s film noir vocals and Jason Goessl’s vibrato guitar enters, the song gains more balance and warms up, but the undercurrent of dread remains. Reduced down to voice, reverb and delay, the version of “Hourglass” recorded by the Music of Grayface for Ball of Wax 31 could be the boldest interpretation in the collection. It’s terrifying and exhilarating; I can’t wait to see it live.
[bandcamp track=1126890192 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=grande]