Repetitions Of The Old City II is the seventh studio album by American avant-prog band Jack O’ The Clock.
The seeds of Jack O’ The Clock were sown in 2004 when multi-instrumentalist Damon Waitkus (read Waitkus interview here) began studying composition at the prestigious Mill College. He had applied to that institution in part because guitarist/composer Fred Frith (e.g. Henry Cow, Art Bears, Massacre, Cosa Brava), an important role model for him, was a professor of composition there.
At Mills College, Waitkus met composer Nicci Reisnour and violinist Emily Packard. Reisnour in particular was interested in making music in the spirit of indie star Sufjan Stevens’ Michigan album, which gave the trio something of a starting point or point of reference. Reisnour’s interest in folk music was mixed with Waitkus’ diverse interests not only in modern art music (e.g. Morton Feldman, Charles Ive, György Ligeti) but also in the more sophisticated sector of progressive rock (e.g. Henry Cow, Gentle Giant, National Health, Soft Machine).
So the superficial vision of Jack O’ The Clock was already in place. The band would seek to combine the lightness and looseness of American folk music, with the determined structures of art music, but also drawing on the teachings and sounds of progressive rock. This was well prepared not only by the musical education he received at Mill College, but above all by Waitkus’ wide-ranging experience as a passionate listener of music.
Jack O’ The Clock became a real band in 2008 when Reisnour left to study gamelan music in Bali and Jason Hoopes (bass), Jordan Glenn (drums) and Kate McLoughlin (bassoon, flute) joined the band. This trio were also Mills College alumni and therefore trained musicians themselves. Glenn and Hoopes also later joined their teacher Frith’s free improvisational avant-garde group, the Fred Frith Trio, which has released many excellent, but challenging, albums.
Rather unusually, for such a self-funded, small-circuit band, Jack O’ The Clock has managed to keep its line-up intact since Reisnour’s departure. The same five-piece has remained playing on all the albums, always with varying degrees of reinforcement from a few additional musicians. Jack O’ The Clock is therefore a true passion project and not a livelihood for any of the band members, all of whom have professions in music. Mostly teaching.
In 2016, Jack O’ The Clock released their sixth album Repetitions of the Old City I, with 2018’s Repetitions of the Old City II being the follow-up. Although Waitkus has called the album a prequel because many of the songs on the album deal with childhood and adolescence and a significant amount of the material was also composed before Repetitions of the Old City I in 2009-2010. Whereas Repetitions of the Old City I was more of a band album with other members influencing the compositions more than usual. Repetitions of the Old City II, on the other hand, is almost entirely composed by Waitkus. And, for many of the songs, it was written by him precisely on sheet music (except for the drums).
As always with the band’s albums, what is particularly interesting about Repetitions of the Old City II is not only the sophisticated and complex compositions but also the extremely rich instrumentation. With the exception of the electric bass, the instrumentation is almost entirely acoustic. And it’s not just the familiar acoustic guitar or piano (which can also be heard, of course), but Waitkus’ dulcimer, among others, plays a very important role in carrying the melody of many of the songs, as does McLoughlin’s bassoon and Packard’s various violins. Ivor Holloway’s tenor saxophone and clarinet also have their place. In addition to that regular instrumentation, there are occasional performances on trumpet, pipe organ, recorder, vibraphone, marimba, and banjo and mandolin played by Waitkus. Things get really exotic when wine glasses and car horns are involved. It’s interesting how, despite this acoustic nature, the band is still able to rock very intensely and convincingly when needed. Credit for this goes to the band’s skilful bassist and drummer in particular.
Read also: Jack O’ The Clock – The Warm, Dark Circus (2023)
Typical of Jack O’ The Clock, this album also alternates very complex compositions with easier and more spontaneous, almost folk-like songs. A good example of the latter style is ”Island Time” which is a rather simple, but wistfully beautiful folk ballad backed by dulcimer and Waitkus’ vocals and successfully coloured by the rest of the band in the background.
”Errol At Twenty-Three”, which represents the more complex side of the band, is only four minutes long, but there is a huge amount going on as the song constantly changes shape. The song is somewhat reminiscent of Gentle Giant, who similarly often managed to ”cram” (and I don’t mean that in a negative way!) the same amount of content into three or four minute songs that the average prog band would have spent 10 or even 20 minutes on. ”Errol At Twenty-Three” is a good example of an extremely dense composition that doesn’t get bogged down in its own complexity.
The album is divided into two, apparently thematic, parts called ”The Blizzard” and ”Artifacts Of Love And Isolation”. In between these two sets is the title track ”Guru On The Road” which is a light-hearted, yet excitingly melancholic instrumental song featuring a dialogue between dulcimer, violin and bassoon, as well as the elastic accompaniment of the rhythm section Hoopes and Glenn. An exhilarating feel-good song!
Somewhere between the two extremes of complexity, ”Into The Fireplace” also represents the rocking side of the album. ”Into The Fireplace” starts with a brass intro and then explodes into a chaotic section with piano playing reminiscent of Keith Tippett. ”Into The Fireplace” is an upbeat and energetic track that doesn’t sound like any other band because of its distinctive instrumentation. The lyrics are a strange and macabre tale of a boy who climbs up a chimney and catches fire, burning into an unrecognisable lump of coal. What makes the lyrics interesting is the way they’re told in a declarative, ”’bygones are bygones’ style” that almost makes you think the story actually happened.
The tour-de-force of the album, however, is ”Miracle Car Wash, 1978”.The 14-minute tune starts off with a relaxed dulcimer strum and screeching percussion. The soundscape is rich and varied from the start. Oboe and clarinet introduce the first theme until Waitkus’ vocals enter. Waitkus’s slightly nasal voice is soft but firm-sounding as he sings of childhood memories that sound like a mixture of nostalgia and nightmares.
After a few verses, a wonderful contrapuntal section begins, with electric guitar, bass, drums, bassoon, violin and clarinet building a subtle and complex fabric. Around the 8th minute the rhythm simplifies and introduces a great repeating bassoon riff which is gradually mixed with the blaring of car horns. The car horns are used as part of the piece in a really musical way and are played by the whole ensemble in polyphony. Add in the vibraphone and chimes and the effect is truly fascinating. The music is basically playful, but there still seems to be an ominous undercurrent behind it all.
”Miracle Car Wash, 1978” is an incredibly cleverly constructed composition that takes many paths in many directions, constantly evolving and never repeating itself. This is progressive music at its best in every sense of the word.
On Repetitions of the Old City II, the individual solo performances are not necessarily of dizzying skill, but it is easy to notice that each player plays their instruments with real confidence and always in the service of Waitkus’ subtle (but also, when necessary, very brash!) compositions.
Repetitions of the Old City II is a masterpiece that carries through its 60 minutes with great variety and vividness. With this album at the very latest, Jack O’ The Clock claim their place at the top of the modern progressive rock guard.
Best tracks: ”Miracle Car Wash, 1978”, ”Errol At Twenty-Three”, ”Whiteout”, ”Into The Fireplace”
Rating: *****
Author: JANNE YLIRUUSI
Tracks:
- Damascus Gate 02:20
- Miracle Car Wash, 1978 13:41
- Island Time 05:26
- Errol At Twenty-three 03:57
- Whiteout 01:09
- Guru on the Road 05:50
- My Room Before Sleep 02:09
- Into the Fireplace 06:55
- Unger Reminisces 01:27
- I’m Afraid of Fucking the Whole Thing Up 05:47
- Double Door 01:32
- A Sick Boy 09:44
Duration: 60:00
Band:
Damion Waitkus: vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone and piccolo guitar, dulcimer, pianos, piano, flute, wine glasses, banjo, guzheng, harp, production & mixing Emily Packard: violin, baritone violin, viola, melodica, car horn Kate McLoughlin: vocals, flute, bassoon, car horn Jason Hoopes: acoustic & electric bass, vocals, piano guts, car horn Jordan Glenn: bell, accordion, marimba, vibraphone, drums, pots & pans, percussion, car horn Thea Kelley: vocals Ivor Holloway: tenor saxophone, clarinet
Lisämuusikot:
Art Elliot: pipe organ (track 1) Darren Johnston: trumpet (track 2) Dave McNally: piano storm (track 2) Sarah Whitley: sampler (track 2) Cory Wright: clarinet (track 8)
Label: Independent release
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