Cassette Review // TRANS PECOS "LIVE FROM GAY CITY" (Solid Melts)

https://solidmelts.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-gay-city //

This cassette begins slowly, as if the sound of a locomotive with these little clicks in it.   As it picks up, you can hear these Hendrix-like guitars which become this full on force to be reckoned with as it feels like the train is just blasting past us.   It is the sound of the eternal pinball machine and then some sharp crystals can be heard behind the buzzing of the electric guitar.   Echoing synth sounds bring about a faster pace now and it sounds as if bombs are being dropped during this song, leaving distortion in their wake.

There is this distortion for sure and then these notes which go up and down before it all just seems to get a bit chaotic.   As far as music goes, this is instrumental and experimental but along the lines of rock because you can hear the guitar.  However, outside of the music genre itself this sound has just created a dance- something back and forth which can be heard by the listener but also which exists within the song itself.    At times it also just feels as if this sound is creating a storm.

Acoustic strums feel more tropical now, such as you would hear on an island, but there is also percussion back there.   Everything is beginning to feel as if it is shifting to percussion only and at the same time it is starting to feel hypnotic.   The guitar riff becomes this nice little groove and it vibes with the drumming.   Guitar chords also create the starts and stops now, as it feels like this has not gone completely off the rails yet but is certainly headed there.   It feels as if the strings are breaking and for the first time you can hear someone speaking.

Through questions of how are you the guitar chords start and stop now.  It feels like a one-sided conversation is being had (in the sense that we can only hear one side of it) as the music continues with the guitar and percussion.  This all ends with the reveal that someone's sister's cat has leukemia.  It all slows down and quiets there for a bit, but then comes back with the guitar chords, a flurry of percussion and singing without words.   After a few more words, it comes to an end and certainly felt like a much needed burst of energy.