Singles

Railcars - Cathedral With No Eyes

Richard Wink 14/03/2010

Rating: 5/5

Who the fuck has the balls to put out a noise-pop record that narrates the life and time of Saint Fucking Edmund? Aria Jalali has, the man who hides under the name Railcars offers a tornado of eccentricity in this regal dose of derelict fuzz.

To bring you quickly up to speed with the story of Saint Edmund, the former King of East Anglia: St. Ed. reigned in the ninth century; he became a martyr after he went toe to toe with the Danes (like Carl Froch standing in the ring against one hundred Mikkel Kessler's,) and defiantly died without renouncing religious beliefs. The bland market town Bury St. Edmunds is named after him.

'Life of Saint Edmund (ponds)' sounds more like an exploratory alien hand operating one those Amusement Arcade grab machines in an attempt to win a stuffed Garfield toy. 'Castles' is the battle, a crude clash of glitches and fuzzed out vocals, 'Passion of Saint Edmund (rebirth)' provides the resurrection- shared euphoria breathed in through fish gills as oceans and seas part in the absence of melody.

The delicate rage displayed on 'Passion of Saint Edmund (miracles)' is astounding, for those kids who thought Animal Collective were the ultimate example of sonic peculiarity then please, please take a little time to feast on this record. 'Cathedral With No Eyes' terrifies, each drum smash a rupture, the vicious wind swirling up a storm.

Ending in ecstasy, 'Martyrdom of Saint Edmund (end)' tells us all we need to know, that Railcars represents the dystopian future. This record teaches us that history has only been taught to us through the regurgitation of violent noise.