MODEREKO
Solar Igniter (Harmonized)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

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My friend Alton loves to talk about music in the terms of physicality; for example, he will extol the virtues of its "big bottom" or its "swaying hips." Listening to records with him, someone overhearing might assume he was recollecting a girl's figure from a bygone party or drawing a crude figure outline. That wouldn't be so however, as Alton, I think, feels music as a seething, moving organism and chooses to assess it using such language.

Using Alton speak, Modereko's album Solar Igniter swings its shoulders and dips its hips with a heavy funk that spread over toast, makes for a good stony treat. The record is packed with short, compact jams with a frighteningly delicate compliment of light woodwinds and keyboards. It reminds me of the Dead in the Shakedown Street mode, when rock and funk met in some dirty underground. It is very cool and well put together, favorites being "Travel By Balloon" and "Snake Charmer," which harkens back to hippie co-op parties and shouting stream of conscious poetry from a balcony, somewhere near the dark heart of campus. I was mad then, and this album of Solar stew would have been a 70's styled mantra that never grew old.

Like a girl in form fitting blue jeans and white t-shirt, short sleeves rolled up to the top of her arms swaying near the DJ, some things never go out of style.

[Pick this up at www.homegrownmusic.net.]

© 2003 - Erick Mertz