Anyone who has heard a recent Wilco song knows who Glenn Kotche is, even if they don't realize it. Kotche is the talented drummer who drives Wilco's current Alt-rock/country/indie-sound. He is often found pushing the boundaries and moving into the uncharted waters of experimental percussion, and his recent release does not disappoint on this point. Mobile, Kotche's new solo album, provides the listener with a journey through the landscape of the sound of experimental percussion.
The idea of listening to an album composed entirely of mediations upon the percussion class of instruments and their subgroup of sound for an extended period of time probably does not appeal to most people's sensibilities. However, Mobile disproves this notion and provides a level of accessibility to experimental music that draws the listener in.
The album is not only for fans of Wilco or other groups Kotche takes part in. Nor is it an album specifically palatable for fans of experimental music, either—the album exists on its own. Through the use of xylophones, vibraphones, drum kits, pianos, some innovative and creative mixing and even guitar strings dragged across the stripped innards of snare drums, Kotche has managed to create a collection of songs that draws from the ideas of a vast array of genres, from jazz to rock to more classical forms. The result is an original experience in refreshing modernist style that is satisfying and accessible to the senses and conjures up many diverse images for the listener.
While it is accessible to the listener and is an easy listen even the first time through, the album still requires some effort and thought so as to appreciate it to the fullest extent. At first some of the songs and sounds will seem overpowering and self-indulgent. Without proper attention to detail parts of the album seem almost as if they may crumble in upon themselves, breaking down under the weight of its own sonic intents. At first these portions may leave an unsatisfactory ring in the ears of the listener, being over-complex at first. However, by the second listen the album's new details emerge; the listener begins to notice the complex sound that Kotche has offered with Mobile, allowing a more enjoyable experience. Even before the evidence of these further positive elements of the album becomes clear, the average listener can find solace in the tracks that employ unique chiming of xylophone or heavy driving piano. The two title tracks embody this concept. These are extremely coherent and only become more rewarding after additional listens.
Mobile manages to provide an extremely enjoyable listening experience that is unique and cutting-edge. Glenn Kotche has managed to create an experimental album that just about anyone can listen to.
