Ten Kens
(Fat Cat)
With its abundant distortion, thumping rhythms and song titles like "The Whore of Revelation," Ten Kens' self-titled sort-of-debut seems designed for metalheads. Until, that is, the bluegrass riffs, classical-rooted piano or sunshine-pop "bah-dah-bahs" mess up the doom. These Toronto cut-ups may be hard-hitting, but they're cut-ups nonetheless.
Ten Kens is a largely re-recorded version of an album the band self-released two years ago, when it was just a duo. Now it's a quartet, and assisted by producer Colin Stewart, whose other clients include a kindred outfit, Black Mountain. Other Ten Kens fellow travelers mostly date from the '90s, back when the Pixies and Pavement ruled their respective alt-rock dominions.
Some of these tracks are basically collages, sonically appealing if overly diffuse. But often the noise consolidates into an invigorating surge, yielding such melodic stompers as "Bear Fight," "Spanish Fly" and "Downcome Home." (That last is the most bluegrassy one.) Alternately, the Kens can shift into the harmony-oriented pop of "Y'all Come Back Now" and "Prodigal Sum" -- tunes that almost, but not quite, disregard the band's harder side.
Even when Ten Kens are their airiest, grunge is lurking around the next dark corner.
Standout Tracks: "Bear Fight," "Prodigal Sum" MARK JENKINS
