A Key to Slow Time

Album Review

A Key to Slow Time is the perfect point of entry for anyone intrigued by the wide sonic world of the Rum Diary, a band from rural Northern California whose sophistication and originality belie their humble and scrappy origins. Yes, they wear their Mogwai, Slint, Pink Floyd and Three Mile Pilot influences proudly on their sleeves but manage to sound like no one else out there. The instrument-switching bandmembers vary from the standard twin-guitar/bass/drums format to differing degrees of shifting where they can end up with a dual bassist/dual drummer attack with a melodicism both devastatingly dynamic and utterly organic. And unlike many of their post-rock brethren, these lads know how to write a perfect pop song; to wit, "The Day Dale Earnhardt Died," an homage both sweet and sincere that displays one of the hookiest basslines ever (sorry New Order!) and could be the feel-good hit of any summer. And also distancing them from the sometimes limiting world of instrumental rock, the majority of their tracks feature vocals — the willowy high-register harmonies of Daniel McKenzie and John Fee soar above the Sturm und Drang of the polyrhythmic crescendos that support most of the song structures. Other tracks that remain instrumental have just as much punch: "Sathergate" and "Bright After Rain" show the band at their most patient, bringing slow builds to unexpected and epic climaxes, dramatizing passion plays and triumphs without uttering a single word. And the ecstatic tribal drum workout that closes "Mileage," a perennial highlight of their live show, typifies the catharsis generated when these players are at their peak, as anyone who has seen it can testify. While they would go on to further solidify as well as expand their sound, this EP, at only five songs, sums up the essence of the tragic theme of innocence lost often explored by the band, and offers a comprehensive package of just how to go about slowing time.