One Track Mind

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There is no way to discuss Computer Perfection without first mentioning the band whence they came. All five members of the group are formerly of Pas/Cal, who–in my many nights of concert going–were the most impressive live band I have ever seen perform. It always seemed, however, that the puppetmaster of their divine drama was vocalist Casimer Pascal, who is conspicuously absent from this new lineup. It was with one arched eyebrow, then, that I undertook my first listen to Computer Perfection, whose debut record, We Wish You Well on Your Way to Hell,was released on November 10th via Le Grand Magistery. (That album title couldn’t be a barb at ol’ Casimer, could it?)

“Able Archer” is the record’s first track, and with its honeyed harmonies and musical quirks, the first impressions it leaves are those of a band whose aesthetic bears more than a passing resemblance to that of Pas/Cal. Much to their credit, however, this is soon supplanted with the band’s own identity, which is at once spacier and more rock driven than their predecessor’s sound. Computer Perfection kneads in a lot of texture for a quintet, from those static hisses at the song’s beginning (which never fail to throw me off momentarily) to the throbbing drum machine which appears halfway through. Chiming guitars ring out crisply throughout “Able Archer” as synthesizers alternately meow and lunge. Structurally, the tune is a formidable one filled with lapses into spaciousness and suddenly revived bursts; unlike its poppy cousins, this song is a vehicle, something you slip into and which takes you on a journey.

Stepping out of the shadow of a talented band can be arduous work, but “Able Archer” makes it sound like Computer Perfection will handle the transition with ease and a newfound identity.