The music of The Royal Arctic Institute is evenly paced, languid at times, and full of moments where a listener can lose themselves in a slide guitar lick, or a simple rhythmic pattern. There's almost no way one could hear a record like the band's new self-titled album and guess that two of these four players were in Das Damen. But, hey, things change, and even the most ferocious punk likely contains multiples within them.
The Royal Arctic Institute finds the four-piece of the same name contemplating history ("He Died Fighting in Spain"), and dealing with memory of those gone ("Placing a Stone"). The numbers lean on a twang-y guitar hook, or neat interplays between drums and keyboards. Always, this quartet keeps things nimble even as they remain subdued in a general sense. That said, "Immer Alles", a highlight here, has a cool hook, one which gives this track real melodic heft. As the chords crunch, and the slide enters the picture, the cymbals provide punctuation. The energy is coiled and the tune has a nice, slightly nervous energy about it.
The Royal Arctic Institute -- Lyle Hysen (Das Damen, Arthur Lee) on drums, John Leon (Roky Erickson, Summer Wardrobe, Abra Moore) and Chris Robertson (Elk City, James Mastro) on guitars, and David Motamed (Das Damen, Two Dollar Guitar, Arthur Lee, Townes Van Zandt) on bass -- conjure up worlds simply here on The Royal Arctic Institute. This is music which should appeal to those who bought up Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Calexico, and Durutti Column records, though this music remains distinctive enough to not really entirely sound like those acts. I've seen these guys live, and there's an almost jazz-like synergy between the four of them that is quietly astounding. I dig this a lot.
The Royal Arctic Institute by The Royal Arctic Institute is out now via Centripetal Force. Details below.
The band is playing in Alexandria, VA, on July 25, at Galactic Panther. Watch that space for further details.
[Photo: Charlotte Hysen]