It has taken eight years for the members of Plank to extricate themselves from their various other duties to reconvene and complete the final chapter of main man Dave Rowe‘s nature trilogy.
The fact that this long gestation has neither disrupted the flow nor knocked them off course says a lot about the trio’s interaction, their ability to lock together and ride a groove to its inevitable conclusion; because for all the talk of consciously unfashionable, this music still rocks and maintains a momentum that surfs right through the album.
The guitar dips and dabs, bobbing and weaving around the resolute bass wile the drums, smooth and insistent, plough their way through. The guitar’s sharp insistent tone when called upon is very much at odds with the subdued synthscape that hovers in the background. They love their simple, hypnotic motifs, be it guitar or synth, and everything else coalesces round these, metal-edged guitar glowering with frustration or synths, sunny and positive. It is really great to hear narrative instrumental music telling a tale; it is not about bludgeoning the listener, but allowing the subtleties of the sound to draw them into the tale, involve them and make them part of the message.
The second side of the record is taken up by one whole movement, its slow opening and sense of foreboding very much in keeping with the overall message of the album and feels as though this is what they have been building towards. Elements in the background swell and recede, harmonics splash, guitars shivering and unsettling. It recedes and resurges, crashing upon a darkened, solitary beach, distant points picked out in the spray. Ever-circling guitars eddy around your feet, drums beating out a message of possible salvation; it doesn’t have to end this way? There is an uplift in tone, a beacon of hope, the band pursuing that for all its worth.
Plank are a fine part of the continuum in instrumental rock-based music that strives to convince through the power of sound alone and they manage to stay fresh and concise while they do. Players slip their leads briefly, belting out a short hallelujah but always returning to the onward motion, compelled to complete the message. There are heavier sections, gravity working harder to keep things in line while others tear free, bolting from the depths, searching for that elusive light, everything fitting seamlessly even the bass smooth as a dolphin, breaking the surface to shine in the light.The message is clear; we are destroying our oceans and here Plank teach us a lesson yet it is with joy and clarity. No hectoring, no lectures, just a helping hand to guide us onto the right path. This album is a real pleasure, so hop on over to Bandcamp and keep the boys afloat.
-Mr Olivetti-
