Masks & Meanings

Picked acoustic and electric guitar, violin, harmonica, light percussion, and electronics, plus an assortment of droning devices: that's the instrumentation on the Franciscan Hobbies' second full-length release, Masks & Meanings. If you are already familiar with the Jewelled Antler collective, there is no surprise to be had here. Greg Bianchini, Loren Chasse, Glenn Donaldson, Kerry McLaughlin, Rob Reger, Buffy Vice Sick, and Christine Boepple perform quiet improvisations that clearly state their affiliation to the Jewelled Antler family. The choice of instruments is a bric-a-brac of rock, folk, and electronic elements, and the music avoids all of those idioms, building instead on quiet drones resulting from many musicians exploring delicate and minimalist sounds. The music exists without going anywhere — it doesn't intend to. It hovers in midair, rhythm-less (with the notable exception of the closing track, "The Matchless Phenomenon"), chord-less, dissipating if you try to grab it and recoalescing once you let your attention take a few steps back. It's a confusing experience, especially since the seven tracks remain interchangeable for several listens and crude edits give the impression that what you hear are only random excerpts from much longer jams. Music without beginning nor end, without purpose other than being there. And in the wrong frame of mind: without interest. But ask nothing from Masks & Meanings and it becomes a mysterious soundtrack for your everyday activities. Yet, its charms will be noticed by only a handful of listeners. ~ François Couture, Rovi