TORTOISE
Standards (Thrill Jockey)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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True to their name, Tortoise meander about at a pleasant speed, and with this release, seem to have come full circle. Standards manages to reach back to the early beginnings of the band, which surprisingly don't sound dated at all, and moves steadily onward, stretching and reaching like no other ensemble. They are still able to manipulate ordinary instruments and spit out original music that hoards will gleefully try to cop. The peppy and wobbly "Blackjack" for instance, is a lovely bit of fun sure to influence movie scores to come. The rest is just pure groovy gravy. Standards is the closest thing to a greatest hits comp you'll likely ever receive from this bunch.

© 2001 - John Sekerka