Sleeper hit. Ether Feather‘s debut album, Devil – Shadowless – Hand, isn’t the kind of record people hear, but it’s the kind of record they wish they’d heard later, and whatever pomp may or may not surround its arrival, the eight-track/37-minute oh-so-vinyl-ready outing digs into a heavy desert rock weirdness that owes surprisingly little allegiance to that style or any other, instead rolling out with an amorphous, go-where-it-wants sensibility that results in the dream-tone-into-chug of opener and longest track (immediate points) “Falconer,” while ditties like “Interstellar” and the later drift-jam “New Abyss” and the clunk-punk geometry-jazz “Haggard Hawk” do what they wilt to serve the song in question. The tendency throughout seems to be toward experimentalism on the part of drummer/vocalist Dylan Ryan, guitarist Tim Young and bassist Sylvia Black — none of whom arrives without pedigree, as you can read below — but that experimentalism is likewise drawn into the purpose of songwriting, and not simply thrown out to the listener in as-is fashion.

That holds true even on the lead guitar and maybe-synth exploration “Dawn of Orion,” which follows the crunchy post-grunge texture of “Cayenne” with two minutes that would otherwise be an interlude if they didn’t add so much to the proceedings on the whole in terms of vibe ahead of the closing duo “Your Half in the Middle” and “The Ultimate Halcyon,” which both resolve themselves in raucous fashion but aren’t at all limited to rush or pummel in their approach. Particularly in the latter, one is reminded of some of Rob Crow‘s vocal melodicism, but if what that actually means is Ether Feather are bizarre and progressive, then take it as you will. Their first album is less a direct statement of intent than the laying claim to a swath of ground for future expansion — which is to say, I don’t think they’re going to get any less weird over time. But that’s only good news, as what they bring to that in terms of craft is an engaging fleetness of rhythm and a strong presence in terms of tone and personality. Again, sleeper hit. I know there’s a lot of stuff out there, and Devil – Shadowless – Hand might take a couple listens before it sinks in, but meeting it on its own level is worth the effort in the end.

As further persuasion, Ether Feather premiere their cinematic video for “New Abyss” below. I’m pretty sure they’re out there where Kirk fought the Gorn — so yes, Cestus III — and that’s awesome, but beyond that, consider it as evidence of how haphazard Devil – Shadowless – Hand isn’t that they’d put together a clip for a track and use it as the genuine opportunity to tell a story that it is, not simply playing the track in their rehearsal space, but directing a narrative that works to complement the song in mood and style. I’m a firm believer in happy accidents, and I’m sure there are a couple on the Ether Feather record, but there’s no lack of consideration surrounding.

Enjoy the video:

Ether Feather, “New Abyss” official video

What resides in the ether? Floating like a lead balloon in Ether Feather’s inverse universe is the meeting point between Black Sabbath, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Kyuss and Captain Beefheart.

The Los Angeles trio’s sound is a weighty, swinging brand of desert rock influenced heft informed by elements of No Wave, free jazz and post-punk. It’s not jammy for jam’s sake, nor is it neo-jazzbo navel gazing – it’s crafty and astute, head-bobbing thud with a flair for tasteful melodic quirks.

Ether Feather is the brainchild of L.A.-by-way-of-Chicago drummer/vocalist Dylan Ryan, who has also played with Man Man, Cursive, Red Krayola and more. The newly minted trio includes guitarist Tim Young (guitarist on the Late Late Show and studio player: Todd Rundgren, Mike Patton, Fiona Apple) and bassist Sylvia Black (Lydia Lunch.) The band arose from a previous incarnation called SAND, featuring Ryan and Young, which had released two albums in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Ether Feather is:
Tim Young, Guitar
Sylvia Black, Bass
Dylan Ryan, Drums & Vocals

Ether Feather, Devil – Shadowless – Hand (2019)

Ether Feather on Thee Facebooks

Ether Feather on Instagram

Ether Feather on Bandcamp

Tags: California, Devil Shadowless Hand, Ether Feather, Ether Feather Devil Shadowless Hand, Los Angeles, Unsigned bands

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 12th, 2019 at 10:02 am and is filed under Bootleg Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.