Far Corner - "Far Corner" Review

Artist/ Band: Far Corner
Title: Far Corner
Label: Cuneiform Records
Year of Release: 2004
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

Far Corner is a brand new instrumental progressive music quartet from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their self-titled debut brings to mind several chamber rock bands of the past but with a lot more muscle. The band uses a variety of instruments to create what is by far one of the better Instrumetal releases of the decade. The music as afore mentioned is in essence a chamber rock style, much like Present and Univers Zero but with an American slant to it.

Most of the music comes across as improvs in the experimental nature yet it has a structured sound that doesn’t go off in tangents. Basically each song created on this debut album is perfectly timed. None of the songs wear out the listeners’s welcome, in fact it makes the listeners want more.

Some of the personal favorites of this album for me are the opening track, “Silly Whim,” with it’s almost metallic sound (no guitars either). Then the other is the 17-minute three-part “Something Out There” followed by “With One Swipe of It’s Mighty Paw”. All the other songs are equally as good but I’m drawn the most to these three.

One of the more known members of the band is bassist William Kopecky of Kopecky, Parallel Mind, Truth Squad and some other Wisconsin based bands is on board. I think his presence here is a key selling point, not to say the other three musicians aren’t up to par but honestly I’m not sure most know them..... yet. Those musicians deserve a shout out too.... Dan Maske on various keyboards, Angela Schmidt on cellos and Craig Walkner on drums.

This is one of the must buy albums of this year and decade. Even fans that normally aren’t into instrumental based music such as myself will dig this album from Far Corner. Go ahead, get it today! Two thumbs up for sure!

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on August 23rd, 2005

Tracks:

1. Silly Whim

2. Going Somewhere?

3-5. Something Out There

6. With One Swipe of it's Mighty Paw

7. Outside

8. Tracking

9. The Turning

10. Fiction