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12XU 141LP
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"Water Damage's follow-up to 2022's widely acclaimed Repeater is another minimal/maximal collision with two songs (hey!) clocking in at 19 and 22 minutes respectively. Hence, 'Fuck This' and 'Fuck That'. On Two Songs, the original septet of Nate Cross (USA/Mexico/Marriage), George Dishner (Spray Paint), Thor Harris, Travis Austin, Mike Kanin (Black Eyes), Greg Piwonka and Jeff Piwonka are joined by Mari Maurice (More Eaze)." "More Water! More Damage! The second proper LP by this Texan juggernaut is even more biggerer than the first, a head-drowning pair of new 'reels' (every Water Damage tracks generally take up a reel of tape, hence the 'reel ____' song titles) that makes you feel like you're swimming in a sun-drenched river of sound. Two drummers, two bassists, and tons of vibrating strings are once again a recipe for massive rocking-drone fires. Two Songs has two songs, and they're kind of the yin/yang of Water Damage: one toned very low, growling and roaring, groaning over a beat, while the other hums high, troubling the treble clef and ringing like a bunch of church bells that don't want to be in church. They're more alike than different though, divining momentum from repetition, flying forward by staying in place, climbing a mountain that they're building as they go. Enough ink has already been spilled about the previous-band pedigrees of the players in this hurtling collective, and by this point, the past seems way less relevant than the present when it comes to Water Damage's present-pounding sound. These people know what they're doing, sure. You don't need a resume in front of you to figure that out. It's there in every second of this gigantic, eternal music -- in all the strings being bowed, the skins being slammed, the rumbles being rumbled. You might notice that this time around, Water Damage haven't just given their tracks reel numbers. They're also called 'Fuck This' and 'Fuck That.' I take that as instructional. Whatever you're doing, whatever you're fretting about, whatever someone's trying to use to occupy your attention so you'll buy something or vote for something or ignore something: Fuck This. Fuck That. Listen to Water Damage." --Marc Masters
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LP
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12XU 133LP
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"There is something really special about music based on drones. Whether it's the vocals of Pandit Pran Nath, the ARP 2500 of Eliane Radigue, or the nearly-blown amps of Sunn O))), by changing the listener's focus on details to one that favors flow, drones are uniquely capable of transporting our brains far far away. The debut LP, Repeater, by this loudly droning Austin septet is a goddamn splendid example of how the process works. Using the motto, 'Maximal Repetition Minimal Deviation,' Water Damage create glowing fields of post-rock lava that pretty much suck you right in and boil you alive. Water Damage, while technically a septet, actually operate in various configurations, with the proviso there should always be two drummers and two bass players on hand. They prefer if each of their sonic ideas takes up a whole reel of tape, and once they start they don't look back. Everything proceeds towards an imaginary end point that is only achieved when the tape starts flapping. What a way to run a railroad! But the folks in the band are all vets of various projects -- Spray Paint, USA/Mexico, Marriage, Black Eyes, Thor & Friends, among others -- so let's assume they know what they're doing. And why not? They sound fucking great. Their approach to the form is less front-loaded than most of their peers, and the surface of their sound is sometimes ruffled by aural events of an un-dronelike nature. But the main gush is usually a blend of harmonic tones and textures pointing towards a goal that is just out of ear-shot, just over the next bluff, and perhaps forever just beyond our reach. So remember to drink plenty of liquid while you spin this fine album. Nobody wants you to parch." --Byron Coley
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