The Funnel

Here we go! For probably my Sophomore year of high school, this was my favorite album ever. It came out in October and a friend burned the first 14 tracks for me. I listened to it to Chicago, on repeat, 10 hours, no pauses. I was in love from the moment it started. But what I didn't know then, was the depths dredg went to to creat this album, this is where we'll start.

This album is a concept album about 2 things, we'll address each of them in turn. First of all, there is Sleep Paralysis. This is a phenomenon that happens to some people, and probably a lot of people at some time or another but goes unnoticed. I've experience it in a bad case about 5 times. Upon awakening in my bed, I found myself unable to move my body, you just sit there. But the worst part is the chest pressure and the dreams. In this kind of faux awake state you have hallucinations or dreams, many people see many different things, mine were usually nightmares, some people have recurring old men, some people have weird creatures. And on top of this you experience what people refer to as "Chest Pressure," which basically feels like someone is pushing down on your chest with all their might. It's at these moments when I've felt the most scared/vulnerable in my entire life. There is no cause for why this happens at all, at least that I can figure out. The last time it happened for me was at the last ski trip, which for me sleep wise, was one of the worst few nights of my life. So anyway, this album references sleep paralysis in many many ways. Whether it be occurences during different events of sleep paralysis, or references to the feeling of chest pressure, the album is laced with little hints and clues. But even more than that...

It references the Salvaor Dali painting, take a big breath: Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate One Second Before Awakening. If you take the initials for this painting, you get the random letters found in the first track of the album. Along with this you will year paint strokes and scrapes in the first track. The last track "The Canyon Behind Her" refers to tha painting which depicts a woman...with a canyon...and guess what! it's BEHIND HER! WHOA! Okay...anyway, I don't really wanna go into it more.

The drummer is very consistently original. It's not that he strays to far into the experimental drumming, he just sits on the edge, ready to leap off into experiment, but instead stays behind. It's fasinating to hear his consistency at work. The vocals have to be a tough part of the album. For a lot of people, it's the one thing they can't get past, for others it's a resting point. The vocals kind of rest on the album, if you get my meaning. The bassist/guitarist/drummer are creating this amazing music, and Gavin's voice just sort of sits on them. Not ranging too much in his tone, just kind of accenting them.

One of my favorite moments on this album, and definitely one to look for is on track 5. As the song transitions into the first verse, you hear 2 voices, one singing in an ear, the other whispering the same lyrics. It's a moment that continues to give me shivers to this day.

Although my favorite track is number 5, the strongest track has to be where the drummer, Dino, is at his best. The band plays over Dino's drumming and an amazing free jazz backing band. It's just, yeah, one of those songs that gets you. You have this band, that feels like a straight ordered line, and then you have these jazz instruments weaving their way in and out of what the guitarist and bassist are doing. It's an expertly crafted song and one of the many high points on this album.

This is definitely an album for headphones and dark rooms. I say this 100% honestly: You have not heard this album until you sit in the dark and listen to it straight through with headphones. It's an experience that is as breathtaking as it is intriguing. Only when your mind is no longer focusing on what it sees, will you truly experience this album. I can say truthfully, that I would go without my other senses for a week if it meant I could ONLY listen to this album.

Here it is, in all it's glory:

http://s64.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0VC72LX1TNWIB1OUYNABKGQRI5

-Ben Nelson