Frustration Plantation

Rasputina

Instinct Records

…

Frustration Plantation

Rasputina

Instinct Records

Recommended if you like: My Bloody Valentine, goth-rock-pop.

Original music is a difficult thing to find as of 2004. Everyone is a doppelganger of someone else. Thankfully, there are some bands like Rasputina who use odd sounds to please the musical ear. Having heard only a few Rasputina songs in the past, I had no idea what I was going to get diving into this album. This was my first full-length venture with this band, and I wasn’t disappointed.

This band is a three piece, with a male drummer and two very talented ladies on cello, one being front woman Melora Creager. The band is in a time warp, donning clothing from what looks to be the Renaissance Period. But the lyrics are way ahead of that time, with songs such as “Secret Message” talking about scientific theories and Nostradamus. “Two objects at equidistance/acting as if they cared/does weight follow math in this instance/oh, E equals mc squared.”

Each of the songs tells a story, and that’s the general appeal of Rasputina. The whole album feels like a gigantic storybook, and that’s what draws the listener in to pay attention to the vocals on each song.

You’ll hear a lot of rhyme schemes, and, at first glance, the lyrics may seem somewhat pseudo-intellectual. But in reality, they’re quite provocative. On the record, you’ll find lots of vocal harmonies, which are absolutely pretty. But nothing can compare to the cello work on this album; it’s just simply amazing. If nothing on this album rubs you the right way, you still have to appreciate the over-the-top string work on this album. Most bands would opt for bass and guitars, but Rasputina makes the dual cello setup work extremely well.

Rasputina is one of those bands that are considered “goth,” which is understandable, and you won’t see them on MTV or VH1 anytime soon. However, they make an industrial sound that reaches a rocking crescendo with the variety of styles they present on this album. If you don’t believe me, pop on “High on Life” and try to tell me it’s not a hard-rockin’ jam. At times, the sound is even a bit reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, who understood how to place layers upon layers of music to create complex structures, without overcomplicating the music and destroying the concept entirely.