Opinions
The Secret Machines, September 000
The Secret Machines’ new EP, September 000, is magnificent: an inspiring work from what could be the best live band New York has seen in years. ANDREW WOMACK reviews.
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The Secret Machines are the best band in New York City.
My friend Casey told me over and over, ‘You’ve got to go see my friend’s band. They’re amazing.’
‘Sure.’
‘No, I’m serious. They’re called The Secret Machines. You know, I think they’re the best band in New York City.’
‘Uh-huh.’
This went on for a couple of months. Casey would tell me about a show, and I’d miss it. Only when they opened up for …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead over a two-night stand at the Bowery Ballroom did I finally see The Secret Machines. I wondered why I hadn’t seen them before. Yes, they were amazing. In fact, they floored me.
A mesmerizing, harsh, spare sound, played in an almost completely darkened room, with only dimmed white light by which to see the three figures. Indeed, their presence was looming, but the ambience was unmistakably inviting.
Equally intense as their live show, The Secret Machines’ debut EP, September 000, is a magnificent first look at…the best band in New York City?
The majority of the EP opener, ‘Marconi’s Radio,’ is a slow build of distortion, frequency twists, and a spaced, plaintive keyboard chord. Lead singer Brandon Curtis’s vocals enter, meandering and twisting through a lyrical dilemma, matched with a thoughtful, ponderous tone, eventually reeling off into resignation and, ultimately, nothing. ‘What Used to be French’ takes off with a pounding, steady tempo from drummer Josh Garza and resolutely paces ahead, unexpectedly erupting with an elegant, soaring-guitar-line chorus from Benjamin Curtis. So much of the band’s style celebrates restraint, and to hear them cut loose in such a confined moment is a thrill—and it’s only enhanced by the band’s sophisticated sense of control and dramatics.
‘Still See You’ sways in as a melancholy ballad—soft acoustic guitar gently underpinned by organ—and, just as soon as it begins, launches into an upbeat pop tune. And, again just as soon, ends completely, segueing into the standout track ‘It’s a Bad Wind That Don’t Blow Somebody Some Good’ [ MP3 ]—a song that defines The Secret Machines’ sound—where you can hear so much space. The atmosphere—long, open gulfs between the notes, between the drumbeats—is so pronounced that it becomes equal in substance to the instruments themselves. The Secret Machines speak a native tongue that pushes pause and reflection to the forefront.
When the EP closes with an instrumental reprise of ‘Marconi’s Radio’ that incorporates handclaps—and applause—maracas, and steel drums, it’s a marked departure from the rest of the record. With September 000, The Secret Machines take us on an abbreviated journey over an array of moods and landscapes, across darkness and hope, with a very human, relatable touch.
The Secret Machines: the best band in New York City? Yes.
[ site | MP3 | purchase ]
My friend Casey told me over and over, ‘You’ve got to go see my friend’s band. They’re amazing.’
‘Sure.’
‘No, I’m serious. They’re called The Secret Machines. You know, I think they’re the best band in New York City.’
‘Uh-huh.’
This went on for a couple of months. Casey would tell me about a show, and I’d miss it. Only when they opened up for …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead over a two-night stand at the Bowery Ballroom did I finally see The Secret Machines. I wondered why I hadn’t seen them before. Yes, they were amazing. In fact, they floored me.
A mesmerizing, harsh, spare sound, played in an almost completely darkened room, with only dimmed white light by which to see the three figures. Indeed, their presence was looming, but the ambience was unmistakably inviting.
Equally intense as their live show, The Secret Machines’ debut EP, September 000, is a magnificent first look at…the best band in New York City?
The majority of the EP opener, ‘Marconi’s Radio,’ is a slow build of distortion, frequency twists, and a spaced, plaintive keyboard chord. Lead singer Brandon Curtis’s vocals enter, meandering and twisting through a lyrical dilemma, matched with a thoughtful, ponderous tone, eventually reeling off into resignation and, ultimately, nothing. ‘What Used to be French’ takes off with a pounding, steady tempo from drummer Josh Garza and resolutely paces ahead, unexpectedly erupting with an elegant, soaring-guitar-line chorus from Benjamin Curtis. So much of the band’s style celebrates restraint, and to hear them cut loose in such a confined moment is a thrill—and it’s only enhanced by the band’s sophisticated sense of control and dramatics.
‘Still See You’ sways in as a melancholy ballad—soft acoustic guitar gently underpinned by organ—and, just as soon as it begins, launches into an upbeat pop tune. And, again just as soon, ends completely, segueing into the standout track ‘It’s a Bad Wind That Don’t Blow Somebody Some Good’ [ MP3 ]—a song that defines The Secret Machines’ sound—where you can hear so much space. The atmosphere—long, open gulfs between the notes, between the drumbeats—is so pronounced that it becomes equal in substance to the instruments themselves. The Secret Machines speak a native tongue that pushes pause and reflection to the forefront.
When the EP closes with an instrumental reprise of ‘Marconi’s Radio’ that incorporates handclaps—and applause—maracas, and steel drums, it’s a marked departure from the rest of the record. With September 000, The Secret Machines take us on an abbreviated journey over an array of moods and landscapes, across darkness and hope, with a very human, relatable touch.
The Secret Machines: the best band in New York City? Yes.
[ site | MP3 | purchase ]
—Published May 22, 2002
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