31Knots

In an age where the predominance of concept over good songwriting has reached a point where even indie bands can thrive on half-baked ideas - the press and hip venues floating them on the ballast of hype and hot air, Portland’s 31Knots exist among the anomalous as a band that covets equally high concept and thoroughly good songwriting.

Paramount to this is melody, and 31Knots has it in spades. While ripe with melody, 31Knots’ previous albums (including the critically-acclaimed A Word is Also a Picture of a Word, which encouraged Magnet to write, "…31Knots will be the flagship band when the term "prog pop" enters our lexicon.") were as much the product of the chopping block and piecing together different ideas as they were songs essentially written by guitarist/vocalist Joe Haege. The parting of ways with drummer Joe Kelly (who co-wrote portions of five songs on the new album) set a new dynamic in play for 31Knots. New drummer Jay Pellicci (Dilute, The Natural Dreamers) lived in San Francisco. Bassist Jay Winebrenner was still in Portland, and this left Haege largely to his own devices in constructing entire songs unfettered by interference — be it good or bad — of his bandmates. This was quite a risk: Working, writing, honing and practicing their songs as a trio served 31Knots well, and the potential for a narrow-minded songwriting focus or a deeper schism to develop once Haege brought songs to Pellicci and Winebrenner was a potentiality. However, as evinced by listening to It Was High Time to Escape, Haege is an exceptional songwriter, his songs full of unconventional ideas, high concept, dynamics, dramatic flair, subtlety and intensity. 31Knots suffered not from this new arrangement; Haege instead was able to create the songs that stirred in his mind with the aid of — not in detriment to — his bandmates.

But this is not an unbalanced trio. Pellicci and Winebrenner, both musicians whose technical prowess is on par with Haege’s, have deep respect for the sentiment of a song that is, in its base form, already written. They complement without cluttering and display their chops but only within the context of the song. In fact, despite the complexity of the songwriting, this record is devoid of showmanship. This is how Haege writes his songs; the way he plays is something that comes pouring from within and his skilled hands merely but ably apply his ideas to playing guitar. Winebrenner is and has always been essential to the way Haege writes songs in 31Knots; Haege subconsciously knows Winebrenner’s sensibilities and the bassist’s ability to picture the aesthetic of the song before going to record it is of great value to the band.

Will 31Knots reach a wider audience or will the trend of style over substance, concept over quality, continue to prevail? The band is unsure, though they surely hope it appeals to a great many people. Being esoteric about art is pure snobbery to 31Knots, and the trio is confident this record is the soundtrack to the sentiment it has captured. As unsafe as those sentiments may be, this is 31Knots, unfettered, and anomalous as ever.

Guitar, piano, samples, vocals: Joe Haege
Bass, guitar: Jay Winebrenner
Drums: Jay Pellicci

RIYL: Yes, Gang of Four, King Crimson, Minutemen, Sweep the Leg Johnny, Modest Mouse, This Heat