Heroes of Toolik
Like Night
Reviewed by: Asher Wolf
Some whisper rumors that Heroes of Toolik are harbingers of vigilante justice in the New York City underground art rock scene. In addition to their fittingly whimsical name, the low profile supergroup has the eclecticism of a hodgepodge crime-fighting outfit. Old time fiddle expert Jennifer Coates weaves intertwining counterpoint lines against the robust melodicism of Peter Zummo, an avant-garde trombonist, as Arad Evans drizzles distorted acid drip guitar licks over the mix. Drummer Billy Ficca limps alongside proto-punk bassist Ernie Brooks to form a shifty foundation for the ensemble’s repertoire of expansive grooves.
In short, the Heroes are an alliance of seasoned underground veterans who all orbit different tangents of the rock idiom. Like Night, the band’s second LP, reflects the disparate specialties of the musicians in its collage-like stylistic fluidity, but also grounds the quintet by strongly evoking their common musical ancestor: classic rock of the 1960s. The group’s frequent comparisons to The Velvet Underground are reasonable, but they most closely resemble the psychedelic jam bands of the era, namely Jefferson Airplane. Low-key and dangerously idiosyncratic, Coates and Evans share vocal duties in a two-headed approach reminiscent of the Airplane’s iconic duo, Grace Slick and Paul Kantner.
The first track, “Perfect”, opens with an upbeat, trombone driven funk-rock amble that adopts country vibes with the onset of Evans’ gruff, conversational baritone. Coates harmonizes on a vibrant, twisted chorus ripped straight from the Summer of Love. “Say Virginia” is another Airplane-esque homerun, its groove undulated syncopated guitar and fiddle riffs. While most of the tracks follow conventional song form, our Heroes wax experimental on “Warm” and “You Will Not Follow”, a pair of circular, vamping sound art pieces that run for over seven hypnotic minutes.
On paper, the Heroes sound perfect; an off-kilter dream team of established musicians grooving with vintage authority and a modern penchant for generic wanderlust. And indeed, the expertise and authenticity of the five members yields many gleaming moments throughout the record. Unfortunately, however, Like Night doesn’t sound nearly as good as it ought to. Whether it’s a consequence of poor production, lackluster arrangements, or a struggle to achieve group cohesiveness, the band fails to fully realize the potential of their musical ideas.
To be sure, the tracks are still enjoyable and interesting, but they come off as rough sketches – mere suggestions of the immersive, cosmic grandeur that the Heroes aim to produce. The soft-spoken vocals are often drowned out in the mix, and tracks often lack the thrust to climax effectively. The band’s flaccid delivery would be acceptable if the songs were outstanding enough to speak for themselves, but in fact, the songcraft is spotty throughout. Numbers like “Again”, with its redundant chromatic descents, epitomize the clumsiness that a few of the compositions exhibit.
Nonetheless, Like Night’s strengths outweigh its shortcomings. Through their successes and imperfections alike, all five members exude a charming earnestness. The musicians know what they are doing, and, at least individually, they perform with expression in place of reservation. Their synthesis of classic psychedelia with art rock and new music sounds organic and original, especially when decorated with Evans’ superbly stylish guitar work. Heroes of Toolik are quite promising, and with some increased production values they could prove to be the heroes that the NYC musical underground deserves.
Rating: Listenable
