31 Knots

It Was High Time to Escape (54º40′ or Fight!)
by Tim Den

Fans of Don Caballero and Minus The Bear rejoice: 31Knots, as their name suggests, literally go boyscout on their song arrangements, intertwining hammer-ons and pull-offs until everything’s a series of sonic knots. Beautifully done, no less, as hints of classical theory (imagine Dark Tranquillity’s The Gallery done by indie rockers) are bred with lo-fi recording quality and suppressed melancholy. Usually bands of this nature focus so much on technicality that they forget to sing, but not here. Guitarist/vocalist Joe Haege mans the tight ship not only with his dexterous fingers, but also with enough clever verbal ideas to quench the need for “hooks.”
(PO Box 1601 Acme, MI 49610)