by Kris Handel
Wrapped in Cellophane is the debut from Atlanta quartet Vessel who traffic in post-punk with some unexpectedly exotic flourishes and sparse bobbing hooks punctuated by Alex Tuisku's tales of dread. The band incorporates elements of no-wave within their vast sound which is full of space, led by remarkably flexible rhythms and an unstoppable ability to find the ever shifting groove with each other. Tuisku's semi-spoken vocals are often broken up with stabbing and nimble guitar riffs from Keron Robinson and expressive and wide ranging sax interjections provided by Isaac Bishop that add quite a bit of character. Vessel craft sneakily complex songs that provide excitement and unexpected turns, handled with grace and a strength that stealthily reveals itself in the exploration of the nooks and crannies of existence.
"Hollow Empathy" starts off buzzing with keys before swelling into a full on assault with bouncing bass and sax lines that continuously climb behind Tuisku's shouts and propulsive drumming. This track finds the band playing with a clamorous fury as Robinsons's guitars spit out buzzsaw shards and the twisting bass line runs rampant throughout as the sparsity of Tuisku's words makes the message more acidic. "Lost Appeal" speaks to the effects of depersonalization and lack of desire to function properly in daily society and the blunting of emotions that strikes a heavy blow. Bishop's sax bleats and wails while Robinson fires off repeating and ringing solos that show Vessel to be right at home in moments of tension.
"Abducted" has Tuisku's vocals a little more disconnected as guitars slice about and Vessel come close to their most danceable despite the fragmented nature of the tune which seems to miraculously hold itself together. The ability to find and never lose the groove despite what appeara on the surface to be disparate musical elements is quite an achievement and speaks to the band’s creativity and unique approach to music. Songs like "Pull the Strings" and "Test Me" allow the band to blow off some steam and meld stark threats with a sense of a playful danger, experimenting with all sorts of different textures. On the former there's quite a bit of call and response with the guitar and sax that is exhilarating while the latter has Tuisku issue a series of warnings with a touch of tempting menace.
Vessel come off as masterfully being able to pull off lyrical minimalism with flowing and melodious skronk that pays tribute to a wide range of forbearers while pushing different musical structures to their limits. Being able to move from one direction to another makes true classification and a coherent explanation of their art a challenge, yet one that should be taken on without hesitation. Vessel manage to paint with a wide brush yet have put an album together that unfolds with impeccable precision and builds to impressive climaxes time and again. There are moments here that recall the sorely missed Mothers in the ability to play with emotions and intensity but without as much solemn brooding and a lightness that allows one to get completely lost in Vesssel's vast musical world.