This Alibi

Experimental / Progressive / Ambient

Kansas City, MO

Billboard

Eleven months ago, the three members of This Alibi
recorded their self-titled CD at Mad Scientist Labs,
mixing and mastering five songs at Westend Studios.
A newly discovered galaxy comes to mind when listening
to the range of this ambitious instrumental
recording by three musicians intent on manipulating
sound. The five songs expand and contract, building
on waves of shimmering guitar reverb and feedback,
diving into the irresistible pull of gravity as drumsticks
meet surfaces with a resounding crash, and
bass notes fuel the song upward and outward.

Within a minute, the introduction launches quietly
with a synthesizer's susurrant burbling. A lumbering
bass and drumbeat begins "In Vast Direction," followed
by a moody, whale-like drone. Then, the song
shifts into a dramatic barrage of drumbeats and guitar
notes. This interstellar soundtrack builds and
builds, ultimately withdrawing into itself. Bob
Bittner on guitar, Justin Callaghan on bass, and
Robb Jarrett III on drums excel at the interplay of
tension and release, pushing sound to a climax,
allowing it to tumble, and finally rescuing the first
traces of the movement for another cycle.

"The Lithographer's Curse" unfurls as two parts that
each roam beyond the five-minute mark,
"Principum," followed by "Fatalis." The scope of
the first part delivers a simmering backdrop of
muted guitar that noodles in the front and back of
the mix, also filling spaces with atmospheric keyboard.
The pace quickens with an invigorating cascade
of cymbals and insistent drumbeats, slows, and
surges again. The biting guitar and drum propel part
two with more bite, while the bass asserts its presence.
"Ask the Dusk" returns to an expansive space
between peace and uproar, embracing tranquility for
a few moments, then unleashing a torrent of sound.
As the music continues, the band demonstrates
restraint, allows the movement to breathe, and blasts
forward again.

These ambitious rock compositions never seem
indulgent. For instance, other bands play speed
metal that depend on guitar fusillades and rampant
drums and assault a listener to the point of overkill.
This Alibi understands how and when to unleash its
full might, but the band avoids the sonic bluster of a
"shock and awe" campaign. On another note, numerous
songs in any genre suffer from repetitious,
unimaginative, or outright dumb lyrics. Empty
catchphrases simply fill space between music hooks
and samples. This Alibi takes an altogether different
route, lyrically and musically. For these songs, they
forgo unnecessary lyrics, cookie-cutter arrangements,
slice-n-dice sampling, and heavily processed
studio effects. Whether the music emanates from a
live performance (like the formidable display at
Mike's Tavern this summer) or on this recording,
This Alibi demonstrates its ability to create an
organic, emotive sound from sheer musicianship and
consciously refined noise.

- Present Magazine (Dec 15, 2006)