Yoshie Fruchter's Pitcom

Serious? You bet. Fruchter's music comes at you like a dark dream, chasing you into corners, tearing at your back. Threatening, loud, visceral, "Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes" has a heavy feel, energized by bassist Shanir Blumekranz's declamatory solo that cedes to violinist Jeremy Brown's sly pizzicato interlude, with the final wail emerging from Fruchter's screaming, metal-informed guitar. There's a Zappa-ish vibe to some tunes, such as "Head in the Ground," which has a melody that would have been at home under Jean-Luc Ponty's fingers. Ennio Morricone's shadow passes over the proceedings, with the silhouette of spaghetti western-ness in the guitar tone and the way the melody unfolds on "Resentful Repentance." Throughout the raucous rip-ups, powered by drummer Kevin Zubek, melodies are informed by Jewish music's scales and gestures, which give Fruchter's compositions a solid centre from which to roam and return. Easy listening this recording isn't; it's got guts.