Writer’s block is not an epidemic suffered by wordsmiths alone. All types of artists experience the creative jam from time to time, including musicians. However, on the flip side of mental constrain exists another problem that inhabits all swells of artistry as well: the ability to create TOO much, resulting in a polluted canvas, paper, or in the case of Lebanon’s Planet Rubble -- amplifiers.
The second full-length from Tel Aviv’s instrumental quartet carries suitcases full of sound across ten tracks, however, the contents of those totes is an absolute mess. It’s like planning a trip to Florida in midsummer, but cramming everything in the closet (parkas included) into your luggage just in case. Packing a hefty dose of math-rock into its sound, it’s fair to expect that Planet Rubble will bring atypical rhythm and claustrophobic riffs with it. In fact, it’s a given. The issue lies in the execution en masse and the production/flow of the album as a whole. When bringing so much to the table, there is an expected desire of organization or at least some sense of continuity.
The album opener, “Finland”, teases us with a brief, gentle, swirly intro before quickly being exploding into a crunchy squeal of guitar lines. As the above paragraphs imply, the sound is jumpy and random, but is actually harmonized here by the percussion that crashes in from time to time, yanking the listener into the center of the chaos. Unfortunately, this is only one of the few examples that appear on the album.
A smattering of crunch and reverb do their best to enhance the remaining tracks, occasionally swirling out solo guitar work or distorting a collision of diverse elements into a fierce ball of sound, but in the end it’s simply too much. Just as the listener is able to sink into the melody, it’s quickly ripped from their ears as the collective sound jaunts down a completely different path. In small bursts, Planet Rubble is without doubt entertaining with its onslaught of instrumental rock, but when stretched over nearly an hour, the tracks lose their appeal.
-Jonathan Brooks