CULTURE REJECT play the Piston tonight (Thursday, July 25). Rating: NNN
Five years after Michael O’Connell released his debut album as Culture Reject, the Toronto multi-instrumentalist has reemerged with a six-song EP and a bolstered lineup that includes new members Carlie Howell and Karri North. Culture Reject sounds a bit more bandlike than the earlier, mostly solo, work but it still relies heavily on hypnotic loops, falsetto-laced harmonies, sophisticated Latin rhythms, horns and lurking organic electronic texture.
Don’t let the punk-evoking moniker fool you – this is very smooth music. Many of the songs achieve the erudite funk Dirty Projectors often strive for: brainy and soulful in equal measure. But unlike those indie Brooklynites, it rarely sounds showy or melismatic. Forces is the kind of music that’s easy to throw on in the background, but there’s lots happening beneath the surface if you listen carefully.
Top track: Avalanche
