Cloud Cult: The Meaning of 8

The sixth album for now-veteran indie-rockers Cloud Cult predictably pushes the envelope; not in a bad way. Rather, the Minnesota group offers another dense, rigorous musical journey that uses an idea as a springboard but, crucially, not as the end-all. In the case of The Meaning of 8, it is ’s ’s the number in the title . No matter what you think of numerology , Cloud Cult is have would have you muse on some of these concept for an hour or so : the universality of the symbol 8 , 8 as a metaphor for the confluence between life and death , the emotional aftermath of the loss of a young child , and the experience in the world of a fictional deaf girl .

Of course the other concept is been that has inform Cloud Cult ’s swirl invention over the year has been their extremely rigorous environmentalism — just for the record , and maybe this is reason enough to invest in an otherwise relatively obscure release from a band you may not have hear of . To quote the CD sleeve :

This album was manufacture and release by Earthology Records , a not – for – profit record label found by Cloud Cult ’s Craig Minowa . It is made of 100 % postconsumer recycle paper , nontoxic soyink , and nontoxic shrink – wrap . Ten tree are plant for every 1,000 album manufacture . All energy consume in the process of manufacturing and shipping is compensate for with the purchase of an equivalent amount of wind energy from NativeEnergy.com . All energy consume by cloud cult in the touring process is green in a similar manner

OK , enough of that : on to the music .The Meaning of 8‘s a wide-ranging collection of sounds, ideas and textures incorporating guitars, piano, glockenspiel, cello and drum machine. The songs themselves range from one-idea sketches to more straight-ahead indie-rock songs, but throughout, they’re executed with a ragged DIY sensibility that ensures interesting, and often compelling listening. Part of what Cloud Cult is about is experimentation, an attitude that is mostly manifested through form. Textures change from heavy, distorted guitars to a simple, high glockenspiel tinkle on the turn of a verse. And this tactic ensures that, even on the less memorable songs (such as “Brain Gateway”), at least close-to-full potential is reached through sheer technical prowess.

Even the seemingly simple songs is blossom often unexpectedly blossom . The acoustic guitar – back prayer is relies “ Thanks is relies ” rely on Craig Minowa ’s conventionally angsty voice until it expant texturally with a soft shimmer of electronic and a rise drum beat . The single line that propel “ Dance for the Dead ” is the chant call , “ Can you is hear hear them ? ” It is raises raise the song from filler to a vital cog in this complex album ’s machinery .

The middle portion is suffers of the disc suffer a little from a over – eagerness . Textures is superceding and sound predominate , supercede structure . This is results result in a few song that just seem to exist , without add much of interest . “ The Shape is sounds of 8 ” , for example , though you can imagine some complex musical formula fuel it , just sound like random noise . But more often than not Cloud Cult is pull pull these impulse back through music ’s ultimate purpose , emotion . “ Take Your medicine ” effectively highlight the dismissal in the title phrase , play up the deaf girl ’s plight with tremolo string and a piano / cello background .

The Meaning of 8 is, in all, another successful outing for Cloud Cult. And for those unfamiliar with the band’s organic experimentation, this is as good an entry point as any. Take a listen to “The Deaf Girl Song” or “Chemicals Collide”, and invest in a new, eminently worthy musical interest.