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31 Knots has been one of my favorite bands for a few years now. Back in 2003, It Was High Time to Escape was one of my most anticipated albums, and turned out to be my favorte album of that entire year. In 2005, the band's Polyvinyl debut couldn't have been more eagerly anticipated either. If you've ever looked forward to an album like I have, you know that you are perilously close to setting yourself up for disappointment. And you probably know this mental process I'm going through:

  1. "It's pretty good."
  2. "I'm not sure I like it as much as the other ones."
  3. "There aren't any songs as good as 'No Sound' and 'Myopic Fights'."
  4. "Actually, maybe it is better."
  5. "I think it's more consistent the whole way through."
  6. "'City of Dust' and 'Chain Reaction' are starting to grow on me."
  7. "Yeah, I think it is their best one yet."
  8. "But why can't there be any songs like 'No Sound' and 'Myopic Fights' here?"
> Regardless of this psychological tug-of-war, 31 Knots remain one of those highly underrated, must-hear bands that's astoundingly innovative and bizarrely accessible. This batch of ten new tracks displays the ongoing perfection of the band's 'math pop' craft. The majority of these tracks are growers; at first glance they seem like esoteric algebra problems, but they unfold quickly when you start to soak them in.

All of the 31 Knots signatures are in place. The drumming of Jay Pellicci is a hypnotic world you can lose yourself in. Jay Winebrenner's bass-lines are effectively the lead instruments, and most of the time are like three-minute magic shows. The mood that these two parts create, in sum with sporadic sequencing, Joe Haege's guitar work, and his tortured robotic vocals, the feel-good soundtrack to an Eastern European dystopian novel.

Only Modest Mouse comes to mind as a band more astute at finding unorthodox ways to be catchy and addictive as these guys. If you've yet to hear their previous work, make Talk Like Blood your first 31 Knots encounter, and watch yourself sweat and writhe over their next album like I'm sure to do.

[originally written for wrecktheplace]



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    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 at 10:13 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    The guy's a prolific reviewer @ wrecktheplace.com. I don't think that sets him up as a biased individual.

    By the way, this is a geniunely good album.

    -Chinatown

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 20, 2006 at 7:36 PM (EST)

    Theres no problem with liking a band and reviewing their cd. If it's a good review, your prior opinions of the band don't matter.

    The problem is, when somebody is a superfan, they tend to forget that a lot of people reading the review have never heard of the band in question.

    In this case, the bulk of the review is spent drooling over how much he was looking forward to the album coming out, and vague comparisons to some of their older work.

    What do they sound like? I may have missed that pert when I read it, but if I did, it couldn't have been more than a sentence or two. The only impressions of this cd that I was able to drag away from the review is that at least one guy really really likes it. Generally, that isn't enough to make me want to check it out.

    The star rating in this case is kind of pointless, since the tone of the review makes me think he probably would have liked it of it was the drummer farting into a kazoo for half an hour.

    All im saying is that maybe the reviewer could have explained the album a bit more.

    Posted by Inspection12e on 2006-02-20 16:11:25
    My Score:

    Chinatwon: Wrong.

    I like Night Flares but this is just superior music.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 20, 2006 at 4:07 PM (EST)

    American football, owen, braid, pretty sure theres more

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2006-02-20 15:45:39

    P.S. if black mountain is on this label scratch them too, cuz they rule.

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2006-02-20 15:44:39

    Every Polyvinly review scares me, cuz I know (in my opinion) that it's not as good as Mates of State. As far as I've heard that's their only decent band. Any other 'good' bands on that label? Jesse, I'm looking at you. But then again this is the internet so I'm typing at you. Sorry.

    Old Dave Man Norman Gloom

    Posted by aubin on 2006-02-19 14:59:36

    I am never even going to consider listening to this band because of this review.

    Why is liking a band a problem when writing a review? I love some bands and sometimes I review them. If you're a fan you may be more harsh when you're disappointed and more excited when they do right.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 11:31 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Good album, but G-Mac's Night Flares is superior in all departments. :o)

    -Chinatown

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-02-17 20:02:38
    My Score:

    I am never even going to consider listening to this band because of this review. Your erection is for having sex with the members of the band, not for typing music reviews.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 2:41 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    score's for the review my penis could write in between erections.

    Posted by tomc on 2006-02-17 14:33:24

    "street team? band member?"

    they don't have a street team. and i wish.

    Posted by kenfuggit on 2006-02-17 14:20:49

    Don Knotts owns these guys

    Posted by rkl on 2006-02-17 13:57:05

    street team? band member?

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 12:03 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    one of the best bands around. period. they're amazing live, joe heage is one of the greatest songwriters / guitarist / vocalists of our time.

    that being said, this review is weak at best.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 17, 2006 at 6:22 AM (EST)

    "31 Knots has been one of my favorite bands for a few years now."

    After I saw the score and the first sentence, I stopped reading.

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