UnknownComponent

Unknown Component – In Direct Communication

For a band, being compared to the likes of Radiohead, Bob Dylan and
Oasis can be a great compliment. It can also be intimidating. I’d also
like to throw in names like Screaming Trees and a somewhat less happy
Paul Westerberg.

To say Unknown Component is easy on the ears would be an
understatement. In Direct Communication flows out of the speakers
smoothly with everything in its place. Songs such as Somewhere A Light
Has Gone Out paint surprising and complex pictures with unusual
melodies that work oh-so-well together.

Keith Lynch’s vocals are edgy & gruff bringing a harsh but not
unpleasant note to the songs that plays well against the meticulously
arranged bleakness. Indeed, were his vocals more in-line with the
style of music, it wouldn’t likely stand out as much nor sound as
original or new.

Typically one-man bands will favour a single instrument while the rest
are dragged along in the background. Not so with Keith. While he
shines on the keys, everything is well arranged and in its proper
place.

I do have to fault Keith for the sound quality. With this album being
his seventh kick at the can, I feel he could have done a better job.
It sounds somewhat like listening through ears stuffed with cotton
balls. While this style of music does sometimes benefit from a
somewhat compressed frequency range, this disc overdoes that somewhat
which takes away some from the material at hand.*

Overall, In Direct Communication is a welcome change. Somewhat bleak
and sparse musically with wonderful melodies and Keith’s almost
Dylan-esque vocals make for a disc the likes of which haven’t been
heard in a long time.   -Joe McGuire  Tinfoil Music