Instrumental music in general is always a tough genre to tackle. Very few bands are ever able to create any kind of substantial fanbase, and those that do just tend to get weirder and weirder [I'm looking in the direction of Godspeed You Black Emperor! and their fans]. Pele, on the other hand, isn't trying to reinvent the wheel with their laid-back jazzy grooves - they merely want to see how many different ways they can spin it.

"Enemies" is the fifth proper release from this Wisconsin quartet - yup, you heard me right, they are now a quartet, with the additon of Jon Minor playing, of all things, computer. I suppose he's the one who is responsible for creating all the atmospheric sounds that ebb and flow throughout the album's 47 minutes. While there are technically 9 different tracks, they all sort of blend together in one gigantic indie rock symphony. You can always seem to feel when one song winds down and the next starts up, but none of it feels forced. The album sounds like it was recorded start to finish - I could envision the tracks in no other way.

The disc's artwork lives up to Polyvinyl's always high standards, utilizing what could be charcoal drawings for liner notes. It's all very soothing [although as I examine the back cover more closely, it looks as if the sketch of the drummer contains no pants], and adds to the overall affect of the release.

This music won't blow you away, nor will it have you singing along to the mysterious guitar melodies. It is the absolute perfect chillout CD, and is in heavy rotation on my "Sunday morning" listening agenda. Pele's "Enemies" has made one friend right here, and I bet they'll make more if you give it a try.

MP3
Crisis Win

REAL AUDIO
Crisis Win