Frances the Mute

Mars Volta proved themselves ill with their last album, ill in many ways. This second album proves that they're going to be around for a while, and I like that. I won't bother leeching off the press release of Mars Volta to get all the background information because quite frankly the lyrics so rarely make literal sense that I'm not interested in trying to know the whole background story. To me, it's just so rewarding to be able to listen to these amazing sounds, and if their lyrics happen to be audible, then so be it, otherwise it's still all good because of the mood they create simply with their souls. The Mars Volta are one of those groups who kind of blow you away with their sound, and don't offer you a whole lot to say except wow.

This LP has a very delicious flowing quality to it, and the ridiculous funk of the 15 minute opener 'Cygnus... Vismund' evolves and mutates itself in so many ways. It's the start though, that purposefully distant, reverberating and beautiful melody that works so well, simple and beautiful melodious singing over a complex but lovely guitar spider-web. It reminds me of Miles Davis' later hit 'Tutu' in that you couldn't hear a more pretty introduction, a more delightful few opening sessions with so much promise, only for the whole thing to change so completely in the next few seconds, changing in that vicious way that certain artists feel they must change; things can't always be pretty- they shouldn't be.

Just after the 4-minute mark we are treated to a sampled bassline which provides backing for a lovely guitar solo (which is about as close as we're going to get to the aesthetic loveliness of the guitar solo on 'Roulette Dares' from their first LP, just in case you had any expectations of this being the same- which it isn't! Yes this is PROGressive!) Expectedly, but also unexpectedly, the loop based moment swells into a strong vocal climax backed by some slightly retro-sounding (70's) orchestra strings. Next thing we know we hear what sounds like kids playing in the backyard and the sound of cars and lorries on a highway. It's wonderful but I don't know why. The loop plays a big part on this album, and coming from a hip-hop background I can of course appreciate that a lot more than some of the foolish reviewers out there who just didn't seem to get it because they'd never heard anything like it before.

Cedric Bixler-Zavala's voice is still just as strong, just as multi-functional, just as young and just as stunning, however nothing he or the band do here seems to be playing to what I would consider their strengths. That's a stupid thing of me to say and I'll explain why. It goes back to my naive thought at the start of this review where I talk about the beautiful intro to the first track and how it's almost a shame that they don't keep that moment going longer. That's all rubbish. It's a great thing, because this is so clearly an experimental record that sees them in search of something. Some records are like this! This is what artists sometimes do! Reviewers just don't seem to understand that because they approach it from the wrong angle- a lot of them don't know what an artistic impulse is- so they become 'critics' when they see something that doesn't seem like a 'logical progression'. This music is often rough around the edges, quite messy at times, quite indulgent too I have to say, but it's all coming from a good place. Some of the more beautiful songs on their debut, like my personal favourite 'Eriatarka' sound almost like ballads in comparison to this much more inaccessible (comparatively) material, yet the reason I love this so much is that it shows that they're not trying to do those same things, pull those same emotional strings- that they could so easily pull if they wanted to. True artists often find it impossible to do the same things, I can definitely testify to that, and this certainly seems to be the case with Frances the Mute.

Having said all of that, the leadoff single, 'The Widow' is the one track that does sound extremely similar to something from their debut. The lyrics here are quite prominent, fittingly since the music itself is relatively standard (nightmare-imagery in the form of a ballad) ground for the group. The insane video (which came recommended to me by Ishmael Butler of Cherrywine) seems to reinforce their obsession with the morbid- snakes and black oil falling out of eyes etc. The Spanish lyrics (is it me or is the mans pronunciation not so great? I am hesitant to criticise because I'm not a native Spanish speaker, but it often sounds as if he's really trying) are definitely a welcome addition to the bands repertoire, as are the Latin-horns, and the funk-funk-funk of 'L'via L'Vasquez'goes from something you want to jump jump jump to, to something best described as 'Cuban jazz quartet with a circus background having a very visual nightmare'. As I said before though, to me it's their overall sound, their conceptual ride that makes what they do such a journey, such an enjoyable trip. Even now I have various moments of that ominous LP spinning around in my head, (and one thing this album has in abundance is 'moments') and that is a wonderful thing, I'm trying to remember the last record that did that for me and it's been a significant amount of time.

The album is an intense listen, and if you're not interested in being seriously challenged, maybe even wincing at the harshness of it, and trying to get inside of it, then I would suggest you don't bother listening to it. Or maybe I would suggest that you do listen, for the sake of not being too stuck in your ways. Who am I to say anything really? When the sun goes down on your day- you might feel more experienced having sat through this record, it might have done something to you, it certainly has to me in the two weeks since I've been listening to it.

Y.Misdaq aka Yoshi 28th February 2005