Staff Reviews

Efrim Menuck - Plays "High Gospel"

Review by Sam Walby

A record that will probably appeal to many Silver Mt Zion disciples and some Godspeed fans, but unlikely to win over newcomers.»

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cd comes in a custom gatefold jacket printed on 100% recycled ccnb paperboard in full colour with a matte uv varnish. cd sleeve is full colour print on reverse 9pt cardstock. efrim manuel menuck is best known as co-founder of godspeed you! black emperor, leader of agit-chamber-punk group thee silver mt zion, and member of the vic chesnutt band (2007-2009); he has a combined thirteen albums under his belt with these three groups. he is also co-founder of montreal's hotel2tango recording studio, with dozens of recording, arranging and guest playing credits to his name, for a list of artists as diverse as british sea power, carla bozulich's evangelista, and grant hart. efrim manuel menuck plays 'high gospel' rallies all of these talents and sensibilities to deliver a powerful and personal album that serves as an ode to his adopted montreal hometown (where he has now lived for two decades), the passing of great friends (vic chesnutt, emma) and new fatherhood. entirely self-produced and tracked at various montreal locations, the album offers a confident, focused, humble and enveloping song cycle. the droning, mangled electric guitar beds that underpin group-vocal melodies and dive-bombing electronics on the album's opening track, and the hauntingly processed field recordings and ominous tape-delayed sound-sculpture of 'a 12-pt. program for keep on keepin' on', establish menuck's inimitable sonic palette in uncompromising and inspired style. '12-pt. program' ends in a glorious squall of soaring tones and distorted breakcore beats that yield to the ensuing song's intimate yet wide-screen suite for electric guitar and violin (courtesy silver mt zion bandmate and partner jessica moss). 'heavy calls and hospitals blues' closes side 1 with a simple piano-based ballad that harkens back to efrim's vocal debut on the first silver mt zion album in 1999.
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