A Crack in Time and the Break of Dawn. That’s a rather romantic and intriguing name for a band. The name alludes to mysterious and mystical melodies and vibrant, colorful soundscapes. The band states on the back cover of the CD that this is “a musical and artistic expedition reaching out for the ever-present, everlasting Now.”
In keeping with this philosophy, A Crack in Time and the Break of Dawn begins their three-song album Remedy with an 18-minute track that is the equivalent of entering an altered state of consciousness. The longer one listens to it, the deeper one gets taken. The first track begins with a surfer-esque guitar riff that sets the tone for the surreal and spontaneous jam session that is about to commence. The track is long, occasionally monotonous, and the singer’s voice leaves something to be desired as he is frequently off-key and sometimes sounds shrill. These issues aside, the instrumentation is well done and the overall vibe of the first track is one of spectral elegance.
Track two is slow to begin and one may wonder if it will ever start. There is nearly 4 minutes of not much of anything happening and the listener may become restless while waiting for this track to get underway. Close to the four-minute mark the song picks up, such as it is, with some vocalization that one is hesitant to call lyrics. They are not words, per se, at least in the usual sense, and the vocalization is mediocre at best. Again the singer seems to be performing in his own key and his voice cracks and peters out at unexpected moments. This 24-minute piece is rife with reverb and has a bit of a schizophrenic and otherworldly sensation to it that is not exactly comforting or harmonious.
However, there is also a rather addictive quality to this song. It is impossible to stop listening and the guitar work is slightly reminiscent of the guitar work in Roger Waters’ song “Amused to Death.” The drummer appears to be going through a test of endurance as the song marches forth and he tirelessly keeps the rhythm. The basis of a jam session is to play and record in the now, and A Crack in Time and the Break of Dawn is doing precisely that. The chaotic feel to track two and the seemingly inconsistent patterns is the result of this. While it may not be the most pleasing or harmonious music, the listener must respect the fact that the music is improvised and spontaneous and this adds to the charm and mystery of it.
The final track is a whole different experience from the preceding two tracks. There is a tribal essence to this piece that is savage and melodic at the same time. The rhythm tends to emulate the sound of a train, especially as the song picks up speed. While listening to this, one may get the vision of people dancing a secret dance, a ritualistic rite of passage that not many understand. The closing track is by far the most intricate and pleasing of all the tracks, and at roughly 9 minutes, it’s unfortunately the shortest. The build-up is fantastic and the climatic peak is orgasmic. While listening to the final song, one now gets a much better understanding of the talent that this band possesses and a clearer grasp of what improvisational music is all about.
After listening to Remedy through once, the listener may be a bit confused and may sit silently pondering what has just been heard, not quite understanding the concept of what A Crack in Time and the Break of Dawn is trying to accomplish. A second listen-through better solidifies the artistic experience of this album and the listener may now be more open to the unique and original way that this collective perceives music. By the time the listener gives it a third go around, all bets are off and the music itself has become oddly addictive. The sheer idea of improvisational music is unique and rarely done, most especially the way A Crack in Time and the Break of Dawn does it. The music itself may not be all that fantastic, but the idea behind the music is mind blowing. It may take people a minute to fully grasp it, but once it clicks, there is no turning back.
Review by Rhonda Readence
