C'EST MORTEL
C'EST MORTEL: C'est Mortel (Two Sheds)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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What was supposed to be a side project for Mason Brown and Tom Naumann of Jet By Day was in reality one of the most interesting and complex releases of 2002. If you can stick with it, that is. Brown (guitar), Devin Brown (guitar, rare vocals) Naumann (drums), David Specht (keyboards) and Brett Griffin (Bass) have created extraordinarily long songs here, which, like classical music, breaks down into movements. There are only two songs listed on the nearly 72 minute album, but it does break down to seven distinct movements. The musicianship is jaw-droppingly good, and the arrangements are quite good most of the time, but I have one problem with what could otherwise be an indie legend album, and that is the many times when the music seems to get stuck in the spin cycle. Sometimes a riff will begin and seem to repeat forever without anything new even being introduced within the riff, and it takes a very short time for the listener to begin wanting something to happen. It's bad enough in one place that, on the second listen, I fast-forwarded through to avoid the monotony. This is a band that doesn't need to do that. With so many original ideas elsewhere in these extremely long songs, my advice is this: if you get to a point where you feel you have to repeat one riff for a minute, cut the minute. You don't need it. If this had been a 57 minute album, I'd be drooling all over it and giving directions to the CD store. Instead I'm saying those with patience will find a lot to like here.

© 2003 - DJ Johnson