(11-04-06)

A review by Steve Marovitch

The Italian band, Instrumental Quarter, has recently released their second album, Traffic Jam, produced in Chicago by Sickroom Records. This album of voiceless instrumental compositions is an ethereal, beautifully
arranged mix of your standard rock instruments and some less common ones, like Rhodes
piano and the hard to come by theremin. The classic rock drums and acoustic guitar meld seamlessly with avant-garde electric piano lines and emotive strings.

This new album is like a classical motion picture soundtrack, evoking images of autumn car rides down deserted country roads and winters spent indoors watching the snow fall silently outside. The album is very much like the Midwest, despite its overall post-rock sound, having a sort of down-home, rustic charm the band may have picked up while recording here.

The songs on Traffic Jam showcase the ridiculously high musicianship of the band's four members, yet remain acessible and delicate.
A couple highlights of the album include the reverb-tastic "Water Guns" and "Illinois Breakfast II." The latter song is really the masterpiece of the album, transitioning from the harsh plucking/strumming of violin and guitar strings to a rolling chord progression and back again effortlessly.

Every song on the album is worth listening to, each bringing something new to the table, not just the same tired loops you get from a lot of instrumental bands these days.

Instrumental Quarter has created an absolute gem with their new release Traffic Jam. The melancholy whine of violin, the original acoustic guitar melodies and biting drums make this album stand out as a great departure from the Yannis of popular instrumental music today. If you like SigurRos or The Autumn Leaf, you'll most likely enjoy this new release. If you're not that familiar with instrumental music, let this be a starting point for you.

If you don't think you're a fan of instrumental music, let this album change your mind.

Source Readbuzz