Arik, drummer of Lasso the Moon, Baby Calendar, and Call it Radar, draws from a seemingly endless pool of talent and ingenuity. LtM's super-technical emo/indie onslaught evolved into a more tempered and highly melodic, if precious, Baby Calendar. Now Arik has parted ways with Baby Calendar bandmate Tom Gorrio and is doing his thing, with a new lineup, as Glocca Morra. The demo, which is available on the band's MySpace page, features three songs with a decidedly more aggressive approach than any of Arik's previous projects.
The lyrics are dense and the guitar playing is mellifluous with some rough edges, reminiscent of some of the better work on Modest Mouse's Lonesome Crowded West. The mix is somewhat rough; the vocals are buried under the fantastic drumming and multiple swirling guitar and bass lines. I also kept thinking of some older Piebald tracks while jamming this in my car.
Arik always seems to play in a project that cuts through my general disgust of what "emo" music became. He achieves this through proficient songwriting, extremely passionate and sincere playing, and the ability to use virtuosity in an inventive, and not annoying, let-me-show-you-what-I-can-do way. Glocca Morra is definitely a band to go see. Winter tour dates are up on the MySpace and they need some help.
Glocca Morra plays Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 8 p.m. at Sweat Records, 5505 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Admission is free.
