Machines of Loving Grace

Concentration (Mammoth/Atlantic)
by Scott Hefflon

It starts with the rat-atat-tat… rat-atat-tat… much like a synth edition of Metallica’s Whiplash. The comparison drops dead then and there. Track 1, “Perfect Tan (Bikini Atoll),” dives into layers of triggered percussion and drum machine that would make even the industrial Gods arch an eyebrow. Slingshot into Scott Benzel’s speak-a-long “I love you and I hate you/I remember the first time I mind-raped you” followed by finger snapping choruses, danceable bridges and the ever-impressive sound catalogue manipulation.

The lucky 13 songs of Concentration rage with guitar-heavy metalcore in “Acceleration,” whisper dark somethings in “Lilith/Eve,” and suck you into pseudo-syrupy pop catchiness with the single “Butterfly Wings.” The songs move with their undeniable dance synth beat, rock with chunky, super-distorted guitar rhythms (and this is actually guitar work, not merely mindless repetition for the sake of rock power), thundering bass lines, and intelligent lyrics. Not necessarily intelligible, but they skate on the surface and blend as just another interesting aspect of the music until, Latch!, a phrase fishhooks in your mind. You say, “What did he just say?” and rewind. Concentration is like that. It’s littered with clever phrasings and insights into the human experience. That’s quite an undertaking for a lyricist and quite a cop out for a reviewer, but so be it.