Album Review: Quicksand - Distant Populations
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Although Distant Populations is only the forth Quicksand album they released their first back in 1993; after 1995’s Manic Compression the band went on a twenty-two year hiatus before releasing 2017’s Interiors. But when you consider vocalist and guitarist Walter Schreifels’ other commitments in the likes of Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Rival Schools and more, it’s hardly surprising that Quicksand have hardly been prolific in their releases.
Add that to the fact bassist Sergio Vega’s day job has been tickling the four-strings for Deftones since 2010 and drummer, Alan Cage has been preoccupied with Burn and Beyond and it’s no real wonder as to why Quicksand’s discography is sparse to say the least.
Distant Populations feels much more urgent than Interiors and more in keeping with the debut, Slip. Listening to the new record as a whole and the vibe of a new band, brimming with ideas is evident. Musically, Quicksand is operating within the post-hardcore/ post-grunge area, yet are never rigorously confined to those genres.
Album opener, Inversion sets the stall out from the get-go with a big, aggressive sound and a raw vocal. All songs are around the three-minute mark – give or take – which means all eleven tracks are lean and devoid of any unnecessary fluff. Lightening Field continues the use of taking a simplistic riff and exploring it fully, giving the feeling that Distant Populations is just us earwigging on three friends who’ve plugged in and are jamming out ideas.
The Philosopher and EMDR close out the album in a more aggressive manner but maintaining the same structure and focus.
Between these sections is where Distant Populations turns to exploring other ideas as Quicksand combine a heavy, sludge stomp with psychedelic vocals over a simplistic, yet effective, riff for Colossus; or manifest a widescreen, open vista, conjured through the use of acoustic guitar and masterful bass for Brushed. The ethereal quality of Brushed, again using a simplistic structure, lends the song something of a Jane’s Addiction quality. In fact, there are several moments across the whole of the record that Schreifels’ voice had more than a passing resemblance to Perry Farrell’s.
In juxtaposing the screaming guitars of Katakana with the Indie sensibilities of Phase 90, in which the guitars are light touch only, Quicksand have produced a wide-ranging collection of music that is remarkable for its simplicity. Even album closer manages to introduce a new idea in the form of an industrial inspired opening, going on to become a full-blown jam that could go on ad infinitum but just stops, leaving you with a sense of wonder as to where Rodan would go next.
Lyrically, Distant Populations is a barbed commentary on the state of the world and, while many plough this furrow – and with what has been happening over the last year and a half it’s sort of like shooting fish in a barrel – it takes a seasoned craftsman like Mr Schreifels to defamiliarize the situation and present it anew
