Gutbucket: Flock

The four-piece known as Gutbucket have proven themselves over the course of their decade long existence to be a goofy bunch of lads (just look at the mugging faces of the band on cover of their debut album Dry Humping The American Dream…hell, just read the title of that disc) that make up for their class clownish tendencies by being prodigiously talented on their respective instruments.

But for their latest album, and second for the imprint Cuneiform Records, they are starting to exercise a little, dare we call it, maturity and restraint. Granted, the sonic bluster that they’ve long exhibited is still in effect (just listen for the squawking tones of Ken Thompson’s sax on “Dog Help Us” and the consistently fuzzed out blasts that Ty Citerman wrenches out of his guitar), but it is tempered with quieter stretches and a more humble approach that serves to invite rather than challenge. Just listen to them ramble along placidly on “Zero Is Short For Idiot” before the whole thing spirals into near chaos. Too, the slow build of “Give Up” features a lovely intertwining of melodic lines that get hazier as the song wears on. This new album also features one of the band’s finest compositions to date: “Murakami”, a track that finds the quartet painting in bold, dark strokes of color with moments of glistening light (particularly the nimble playing of drummer Adam Gold) that does the titular author proud.