Music of a Sinking Occasion

- Startlingly engaging debut from Chicago post-pop collective - It's been quite a while since an album took me by surprise, and "Music Of A Sinking Occasion" left me floored. Expecting the usual half-baked fusion meanderings commonly stereotyped of Chicago bands, L'Altra hit me with an uppercut of gorgeously orchestrated indie pop. Sure, "pop" is an ugly work, but what better describe pleasantly melodic music, filled with emotion and honesty, that gets your foot tapping? I rest my case. With influences in indie rock, ethereal, and classical musics, L'Altra give us ten tunes, casually spun in their own lazy orbits, further raising the bar for Chi-town musicians. Coming as close as they can to Bark Psychosis' "Absent Friend" without fully ripping it off, "Little Chair" captures BP's beautifully restrained tension accurately, turning the former's howl of loss into a moan of love. "Lips Move On Top Of Quiet" marries call-and-response vocals, courtesy of Joseph Costa and Lindsay Anderson, to plaintive cello, accordion, and piano. Comparisons for each track may abound, but "Music Of A Sinking Occasion", on a whole, is in a class unto itself. -Alternative Press
To add to the beauty of this record, L'altra asked their friends Fred Lonberg Holm (Pillow, Flying Luttenbachers, Boxhead Ensemble) to play cello, Rob Mazurek (Isotope 217, Chicago Underground Duo, Trio and Orchestra) to play cornet, Marc Hellner (Pulseprogramming, x L'altra) to play guitar, Mike Lust (Lustre King) to play vibraphone, and Robert Cruz (Sinister Ensemble) to play accordian.