With an ominous name and album title, Prosaics give the impression that there are questions surrounding the band and its music, but most have been answered. Featuring members of Tel Aviv and Rainer Maria, Prosaics formed in 2002 and opened for most of NY’s hot commodities, including Yeah Yeah Yea’s and the Rapture. With strong reviews and tales of a great live show, there has been a lot of talk surrounding the trio. This long-finished e.p is finally seeing the light of day, hot on the heels of their signing to Matador who will release their full length next year.
In an attempt to describe their music without naming the six bands that are referenced in every post-punk review, let’s just say that although Prosaics is closer to those reference points than most bands, they are just above average entertainment. “Teeth” is vitriolic blast that gets the e.p started right. A catastrophic drum/guitar barrage gives way to a melodic guitar line and a hard driving beat, the band wisely puts their best foot forward. “Now the Shadow of the Column” is the most memorable track only because its intro, a gentle guitar line aided by ascending drums that gives way to an overriding rhythm that breaks the whole thing open, has the exact same structure as “Roland.”
Everyone plays their part perfectly within the songs and is given their shed of light on each track. Andy Come’s vocals range from agitated indifference (“Failure”) to impassioned wail (“Tenants”) and work well within the foundation of the music. William Kuhn’s drumming stands out throughout the short player and give the songs a poppy punch throughout.
The real criticism isn’t so much with the music, but with the overall “package.” Minimalist photography and gothic font with no extemporaneous information beyond the credits, the album follows the traditions of Joy Division and Interpol (to name just a couple) in leaving a highly stylized question mark over the proceedings. Therein lies the problem. I’m sure Prosaics are sick of hearing themselves compared to those bands as much as I am mentioning it, yet they don’t do anything to avoid the superficial comparisons. The only differentiating factor between, say, Interpol’s packaging and Prosaics is Interpol’s home jerseys are red and black, while Prosaics is black and flesh. They are practically interchangeable, and that is a bad first step for newcomers.
