Comrades

Richmond, VA-based "experimental gospel" band Comrades released three independent albums before signing to Blood & Ink this year; Collection 2010-2011 is an amalgamation of their entire back catalogue to date. Rather than re-release everything, Blood & Ink pulled their favourite tracks and put them out as a single collection, in order get their listener base familiar with them while Comrades are at work on their first full-length for the label. Collection 2010-2011 features primarily instrumental tracks, with the occasional semi-harsh and semi-spoken word section. These passages are distracting though, kind of weird and shout-y. The long instrumental sections are much stronger, as they grow and swell like storm clouds gathering over prairie fields, menacing, filling the whole sky. Comrades don't ever fulfil the promises of destructive natural power they set up, however. The songs accrete, darkly glower, look ominous, but never fully materialize into a twister or torrential downpour. There is threat, but little else. Hopefully, their full-length will bring the storm.