Los Angeles-based instrumental rock duo
El Ten Eleven have always made upbeat, energetic music that celebrates life, yet reflects on the loss of loved ones, with many of their releases including dedications to friends and family members who have passed away. 2020's
Tautology is a trilogy, with each part representing a different stage of life, and forming a sort of narrative arc. Tautology I represents the angsty teenage years, and it's meatier and more aggressive than most of
El Ten Eleven's material. The bass lines are sharper, the guitars are spikier, and the overall mood is more intense and volatile, yet it doesn't feel like the duo are overstepping their bounds -- they're doing what they do, but pushing towards the edge. It would be a stretch to say they sound more like a metal band, as they tend to use gliding, shoegaze-like guitars rather than heavy riffs, and the rhythms are perhaps closer to post-hardcore. Still, it's a harder direction for the duo, while maintaining their usual energy. Tautology II is about middle age, and it finds the duo operating within their comfort zone. The tracks generally consist of soaring guitars, post-punk bass lines, and occasionally danceable rhythms, painting a portrait of an experienced life that remains optimistic about the road ahead. While "Shimmer" is the most celebratory track present, all of them are bittersweet mixtures of feelings, as the group's work tends to be. "Growing Shorter" is an appropriate bridge to the album's third part, which is meant to represent the advanced aging process. A few moments have crunching rhythms, particularly on "Farrago," but it's more textural overall, with extended ringing tones punctuated by soft heartbeats. "Shimmered" has a dense tsunami of guitar effects and a subtly tricky time signature, but these pieces are largely gentle and reflective, finally letting go and drifting into oblivion with the
Caretaker-like conclusion "All of This Bliss Doesn't Come Without a Price." The entire project is grand and impressive in its scope, although it's recommended to listen to the album in segments corresponding with one's mood, as the whole thing can be quite exhausting for one sitting. ~ Paul Simpson
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