Commune

Recording information: Parkeringshuset Studio.
With a sound that seems to exist outside of any particular place and time, Goat materialize once again to bestow upon us their second musical offering, Commune. A simmering head trip that feels like a ritual to speak with the gods, the album's layers of percussion and snaking, Middle Eastern guitar lines seem intent on mesmerizing the listener, drawing them into a hazy expanse of trippy rhythm. Although the band continue to take a pan-cultural approach to music, drawing influence from all around the globe, Commune is a surprisingly focused and intense album. The hypnotic repetition and slow build of album opener "Talk to God" evokes an image of a wild-eyed, unblinking madman who, despite your better judgment, you follow anyway. From there the listener sets out on a journey that feels like equal parts fever dream and vision quest. By the time Commune comes to its frenzied conclusion with "Gathering of Ancient Tribes," the album has ventured off in so many different directions that its closing moments, consisting of a droning synth and the ringing of a bell, feel as though they're meant to guide the listener back to reality, providing a light at the end of the tunnel for them to follow as they transition from the astral to the corporeal. With Commune, Goat have created an album that isn't so much to be listened to as it is experienced. Even though the individual elements of the album are plenty interesting, it's how it functions as a whole that really makes it stand out, and any listener able to dedicate the time and attention necessary to let it wash over them without any outside distractions will find the album to be quite rewarding. ~ Gregory Heaney