The Answer Is In The Beat

CE Schneider Topical: Antifree (OSR Tapes, 2016)

May 26, 2016 at 10:23 pm | Posted in Reviews | 1 Comment

CE Schneider Topical is the duo of Christina Schneider and Zach Phillips (formerly of the astonishing Blanche Blanche Blanche), both of whom appeared on the most recent Jib Kidder album. Both of them wrote the songs (alone and together), but Schneider wrote most of them and sang them all, in addition to playing guitars and drums. Phillips plays a considerable amount of instruments, including some rusty Wurlitzer organ. The songs are generally under three minutes and have the sort of sophisticated arrangements and offbeat charm as BBB, but with less of that group’s dry sarcasm. A few songs such as “Look At What Happened” and the vulnerable “Seeing Eye People” echo BBB’s more sentimental moments, and songs like “Totally Masked Out” contain the type of wordplay Phillips is known for. “Female in Images” balances twee sing-songy vocals and screwy guitars, and “I Think I’m Dead” is a scrappy, catchy, morbid singalong. A few tracks such as “No Eyes Too” and “Roadside H.O.X.” feature the type of minimal arrangements that made BBB’s early albums recall the minimalism of Young Marble Giants. It’s an excellent, varied record and is further proof that Phillips and OSR Tapes are responsible for some of the best lo-fi weirdo pop of the moment. Listen on Bandcamp now.