Pocahaunted - A Tear for Every Grain of Sand (2007, Fuckittapes)

    I consider 'A Tear for Every Grain of Sand' to be Pocahaunted's second full-length (Moccassinging being their first) purely based on length. This amazing cassette clocks in at just under 40min long and it really just flies by in all it's Native-American psychedelic haze.
    Side A is split into two songs, 'Virginal Lamb' and 'Shallow Washita'. 'Virginal Lamb' opens with a simple ringing high-pitched guitar chord strummed and layered over and over itself and suddenly the sounds become oh-so familiar. The wordless croons and hums slowly come in and a drum come in as the guitar dances back and forth between the chords. There's such a rhythm and a balance to it all that can make it so powerful while being so simple. A second more noisey guitar escapes from the background and adds a quiet but dirty sound to the mix.
    Everything becomes more and more intense as the song carries on. More guitar, more voices, more drum, more reverb. It all just continues to add and add until it all slowly falls apart into silence.
    'Shallow Washita' starts with the same guitar chord strum beginning only this time the chords are much creepier and sadder and deeper. A cymbal crashes quietly behind as a voice like a lone-bird calls into the forest the guitar is slowly building. An Indian princess voice comes in to comfort and it becomes an odd mix of ugly and pretty, joyful yet disgusted. The pace picks up and the drums come back more and more frequently the shallow hum of feedback getting almost overpowering and suddenly it all runs away leaving the princess to a last few words before following suit.
    Side B is the 20min epic 'Bind the Blistered Feet' an amazing grumbling and flowing feedback filled piece. The dripping distortion coats the floor and the sound of a beaten guitar screams out. This piece is mostly focused on the music rather than some of the other more vocal songs. The beaten guitar grows louder and louder and there's a faint sound of bells jingling along. Things become much more frantic seemingly out of nowhere and the sounds all pick up racing to catch up with each other. The sense of urgency seems to slow down right before the all-out attack and everything destroys itself and slowly decays and dies.
    This is the 6th Pocahaunted release and they have still yet to disappoint. If anything this is a very high-point in their discography so far. The jamz are long and building without being too song-like. It's obvious that it's the product of a couple girls sitting in a practice space with a lose base to what they're going to do and then just letting loose for the next 15-20 minutes. I couldn't be happier with the results.

Heroes

Mp3: Mother Looms (from the OOP 'Moccasinging' c38 on Not Not Fun)

Fuckittapes | Pocahaunted