If These Trees Could Talk

With Goose and Minute of Arc. Saturday, June 2, at the Lime Spider, Akron.

By Chris Parker on Wed, May 30, 2007 at 4:00 am

post-rock Smashing Pumpkins

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Akron's If These Trees Could Talk eschews post-rock's tendency toward roller-coaster dynamics -- as well as the slide-rule intricacy of math rock's post-punk wing -- for the moody majesty of June of 44. (Kent's Six Parts Seven also comes to mind.) While there are passages propelled by the frothy churn of loud/soft counterpoints -- as in parts of "The Friscalating Dusklight" -- the music's power is a product of the wonderful three-guitar interplay. But this isn't so much about chords as it is the jutting, slashing, slithering single-note intersections, whose combinations drive the melody as well as lending this music an oceanic quality.

Tracks such as "Signal Tree" work a hypnotic thrum, while the psychedelic "41°4'23n, -81°31'4w," in a surprisingly economical three and a half minutes, billows and swoons like the Smashing Pumpkins. This is one of ITTCT's finest traits: Songs don't overstay their welcome; instead, they work out their idea and move along with minimal wankery.