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Filaments EP
Splendid E-zine
Mike Baker
Quinimine, a four-piece from Montreal's Mile End area (host to several other decidedly
plaintive outfits such as Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Molasses, and A Silver
Mt. Zion, all of whom share members and rehearsal facilities with the band), brilliantly
announce their presence on the scene with this short collection of introspective,
slow-burning lullabies for the urban set.
Opening track "Filament" begins with a swaggering bass line that recalls
Pure Phase -era Spiritualized, its haunting organ drone and the melodic figure
that accompanies a brief chorus further alluding to that soulful sound. But don't
let that allusion confuse you -- apart from the occasional wink and nod to other
narcoleptics like Low, Quinimine seem uninterested in rehashing the sounds of
their contemporaries. They present their songs within the framework of a style
suited to honesty and intelligence. While the arrangements themselves are sparse,
the sound of Filaments is full-bodied, rich and respectful of the tradition that
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classic murder ballads such as "Knoxville Girl", which concludes this
five track EP.
"Median States" is a dynamic example of the Quinimine sound; guitarist
Gary Jansz's vocals are accompanied by the wistful hum of his female counterpart
Alice Cantine. While a solid bass drone stabilizes and propels the track forward,
Peter X's banjo solo skitters across the surface of the song like water-spiders
across the surface of a stream. The images evoked by Jansz's lyrics are intimate,
almost tangible, recollections of wasting romances and the warmness of fond memories.
Brushed drums often retain an intensity while resting in the background of a mix
otherwise dominated by Jansz's hushed baritone and Cantine's fragile harmonies.
Kurt Weill's "September Song" and its tale of lost and fleeting love
drowns in a shallow pool of hopelessness so beautifully rendered by Quinimine's
sapid arrangement that it nearly transcends the original.
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