Misbegotten Man
Label: I and Ear
Length: LP
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Misbegotten Man
At its best, art is transcendental. At its worst, it’s a shield for bullshit. Enter this guitar/drum duo from New York. With guitarist/singer Mary Halvorson of Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant in the fold, they carry credentials. Still, no matter the degree of complexity purported or the hallowed esotericism for which they reach, this album just blows. From Kevin Shea’s spastic, jerky drumming to Halvorson’s random, pointless vocal modulations, the ‘musicâ?� rambles without discipline or point. The lofty artistic ambitions behind Misbegotten Man are wholly negated by its complete lack of cogency; the record plays like a jackhammer on the nerves. Even the august art-house generates trash, and this, kids, is total jive.
This article appears in Aug 8-14, 2007.