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Delusions of Adequacy 4 March 2002
Pittsburgh's Whitford is something
of a band of contradictions. In the course of this
one album, their follow-up to the oddly named Orson
Welles: Planetdevouringrobot, Whitford explores
probably every single influence they have and every
idea they can come up with - everything from post-rock
to jazz to jam-rock to half a dozen other things.
Generally, that would be a bad thing, creating an
album so confusing it barely stands a listen, but
somehow Whitford manage to produce something as enjoyable
as it is intriguing.
The basic elements are pretty standard: a four-piece
instrumental-rock band composed of guitar, bass, drums,
and saxophone. The sax is instrumental here, used
as a key element of every song and often keeping the
pieces from feeling stagnant. But it's not the only
unique instrument in this band, as the drums are tight
and play complex rhythms, the bass is thick, and the
guitar is all over the map.
The album starts off in a brooding, post-rock, June
of '44 style with "Twelve," which flows
into the more emphatic "Blue Valkyrie is About
to Die," filled with thick, effects-laden guitar
work. From there, the band gets a bit more ethereal,
playing a more rambling, flowing style on "Ottimo
Massimo" and "Zentraedi Meets Minmei"
is all thick and brooding guitars and intricate rhythms.
With "Garments for a More Specific Evening,"
the band gets rather esoteric, playing more laid-back,
jammy music reverberating with bass.
By about midpoint, the songs do start to blend a
bit, with the band's guitar really taking the focus
on tracks like the meandering "Texas" and
the up-tempo, cascading "Fandango." But
in between, there's the light, jazzy "Way Power
Classic" and the moody, experimental "Delirium
Tremens" that really gets me interested. "Valga
Krusa" ends the album with perhaps the most straight-forward
rocking sound, at least until the blast of bass and
guitar that build to a tumultuous and fitting ending.
Despite its tendency to get lost in intricate guitar
work and complex, jazzy rhythms, Whitford manages
to hold these songs together for a very tight album
that really builds on the promise of their first full-length.
They are a lot more free, here, exploring their musical
influences and managing to tie everything together
in a unique and exciting way. It's too bad that the
Whitford folks have split up and spread out across
the country. Because this album shows that they could
easily catch on. -- Jeff
Splendid 9 March 2002
After a spate of bad luck, this quartet abandoned vocals. This left them plenty of time to focus on their instruments -- time they put to good use honing their craft. While their song titles are a little ridiculous, their music is well-constructed. They draw their influences from all over the stylistic map, creating an interesting sonic blend, incorporating touches of jazz, progressive rock and good old jangle. At times, it sounds like the darkly futuristic work of King Crimson. At others, the songs hint at the good-natured experimentation of Rush. These moments pass quickly, much like the songs themselves, because the band wisely stops them before they wear out their welcome. This is a narrow path to follow; on one side is a pit of uncompleted notions, while on the other is a morass of meandering melodies. Whitford manages to achieve a solid balance between the two, which keeps things interesting without becoming overwrought. As such, their doubly self-titled disc makes an entertaining listen. -- Ron Davies
Lost at Sea 13 March 2002
Whitford uses one electric guitar and an eight-string electric bass, a saxophone and drums to create an interesting sound that starts of extremely simple and minimalist but then progresses, building up in complexity as it goes along. This is demonstrated really well in the album's second song "Blue Balkyrie is about to die" and the third song "Ottimo Massimo." Actually, almost all the songs show it, and it sounds really good. The whole album has that whole sort of minimalist feel to it, until each song progresses and gets more complex, and more complexity breeds my interest. -- Jeanette Samyn
Mish Mash March 2002
If there is such a thing as alternative fusion, Whitford would be a prime example. The basic approach is prog rock, but the execution is purely "alternative" both in sound and scope. Jangly fuzz guitars ride along with a pounding drumbeat, while snatches of jazz saxophone rise up through the melee. It's an interesting mix, albeit one that lacks an overall focus and intent. Perhaps this is the charm. The tunes seem to undulate without direction, but somehow it all fits together in an unexplainable fashion. About halfway in, the lines between the tracks become a blur, and you eventually end up with a 47 minute long musical collage which swells and recedes like the tide.
As fate would have it, the quartet's lineup has recently split, leaving the future of this experiment in question. Yet, at least they've left this behind.
purchase
Whitford Whitford can be purchased at the following locations (MSRP $11.99)
ON-LINE:
 cdbaby.com
IN PITTSBURGH:
Paul's Compact Discs (Bloomfield)
4526 Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
(412) 621-3256
paulsstore@aol.com
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