Blues Control – Local Flavor (2009) [Slitbreeze] // Grade: B

Local Flavor is a passive album. Go into it expecting a mess of hooks and structure to keep you engaged and you’ll be incredibly disappointed, but the lack of both is unexpectedly enchanting. There’s a dreaminess here that requires you to be a little disengaged, like the hidden image in those Magic Eye pictures that you only saw when you stopped trying; Local Flavor is best experienced by not trying to experience it.

Though the album is definitely a collection of quintessential Blues Control references (psych-instrumental, electro-drone, et al), it doesn’t feel overwrought, which is unusual for albums that eschew hook and harmony for, like, sound exploration. Opener “Good Morning”—by far the most accessible, albeit not characteristic, track—slams in with a frantic beat and ultra-rad sludge guitar then quickly moves to the aptly named “Rest In Water”, a floaty piano loop that shifts and develops without notice; you only know it changed if you go back and listen to its start. “Tangiers” is Kraftwerk-reminiscent in its minimalism but stripped down even further. And “On Through The Night” drones for an epic 16+ minutes on some serious transcendental, meditative riff without ever feeling truly boring.

And then, four songs in, we’re done. Brevity is the soul of Blues Control, the one thing that keeps Local Flavor from drowning in its own expansiveness. It’s too short to really suffer from the vaguely flat production or so-so drum loops; in fact, the itty-bitty time frame makes those issues feel intentional and charming. Put it on, zone out for a half-hour and go about your day. There’s not much to lose.

- Rue Sauvage