Cloud Becomes Your Hand
Rocks or Cakes
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Rock
Brooklyn-based band Cloud Becomes Your Hand’s debut album Rocks or Cakes is an experimental and colorful 36 minute journey. While the record might not be for everyone, the band pushes the envelope of what rock can be in terms of instrumentation and song structure.
Although the record features traditional instruments like guitars, drums and violins, it also incorporates bizarre synthesizers, chimes and feedback loops. “Peanuts In A Celluloid Bag” is comprised solely of glitches, bleeps, yelps and howls.
The record features a wide array of textures. Some tracks sound like they were recorded underwater, while others are more atmospheric. Furthermore, the band defies traditional verse-chorus song structure.
Even the more conventionally structured tracks such as “Sand of Sea” and “Nuclei Spinoffs” stray from the beaten path. The latter half of the record focuses more on instrumentals, as singing is relatively sparse. “Bees Going Postal” and “Glimpse of Hot Glove” seem like they belong on Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn due to their spontaneous and spacey sound.
At times, the band’s attempt to be weird comes off as forced and arbitrary. Many of the odd sounds bog down the melodies, and the monologue at the end of “Theme From Baby Age” is unnecessary.
Rocks or Cakes brings many new concepts and a much needed breath of fresh air to rock music.
Although these ideas are raw and need refinement, Cloud Becomes Your Hand just might have the chops to pull it off.
— James Stramm
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