Lye By Mistake - Fea Jur
Rating
RIYL
The People’s RepublicDillinger Escape Plan
Dream Theater
Herbie Hancock
Release Date
10/13/2009
Label
Black Market ActivitiesTracklist
1. Big Red Button2. The Condition
3. Invincible Bad-Ass
4. Vanguard to Nowhere
5. Stag
6. Fea Jur
7. Missouri Tomater
8. Money Eating Mary (Karaoke Remix)
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Okay, we get it: Lye By Mistake is comprised of supremely talented musicians. On Fea Jur they are going to prove this to you, to make you believe it. The record is a testament to this, adding different styles as varied as jazz and math metal of The Dillinger Escape Plan ilk together. This instrumental sophomore release by the Saint Louis, Missouri trio is a display of the sheer ability possessed by the band. It is a tech-head’s wet dream, with enough odd time to make your head spin. This is an incontrovertible fact: these guys can play. That said I’m having a hard time justifying the existence of this album. There’s just too much going on as there are parts heaped on top of other parts with little orientation. Technical prowess alone does not make a great record; there has to be something more. Fea Jur plays as little more than a showcase for the band’s ability. It is far too bogged down in a self-conscious desire to wow the listener with their chops with not enough focus on actually crafting a coherent album.
To their credit, although fundamentally rooted in the free-form jazz school, Lye By Mistake incorporate many different genres to make Fea Jur a diverse listen. The inclusion of so many elements is admirable, but unfortunately it just comes across as a cluttered, anything-goes mess. Occasionally one of these many elements works, such as the groove at the end of “Invincible Bad-Ass” or the Western-style hoe-down mid-way through “Vanguard to Nowhere,” but this is far too rare an occurrence. Typically Fea Jur sticks with its template of high-brow, masturbatory music. It really is exhausting to listen to this record in its entirety. Its ideas are scattered about, resulting in a record that decidedly lacks focus. Experimentation is fine, but there needs to be a sense of coherence or direction. Too often Fea Jur just felt like it was meandering about with no real destination in mind.
This album will appeal to people who think of jazz fusion when they think of “the heavy stuff” and not much further beyond that crowd. It is an overly self-indulgent affair that places too much emphasis on technicality and experimentation just for the sake of experimentation, rather than on channeling the scope and abilities of the band into a more realized vision. There is no questioning that these guys have the talent; all they need now is a bit more streamlining. It’s okay to leave parts out because they don’t work well within the framework of a song. If Lye By Mistake ever figures it out, they’ll truly be a force to be reckoned with.
--Jake Oliver
Comments
Minnesota
This album was a gigantic chore to listen to. I just can't tolerate this band. Everything sounds like structured noise (and not in a good way).
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Wilmington DE
I only like the straight up jazz parts on this album which would make up about 35% of Fea Jur. Any tech metal part they play sounds more cohesive then a behold...the arctypus song but that is not much of a compliment and they are far too boring to be just instrumental. so 5/10.
Listening to:
Tides of Man
Oceansize
The Contortionist
We are the City
Periphery
Raleigh, NC
Completely agree. I liked seeing them live, but they had a vocalist then.