No Trespassering, William

After witnessing the travesty of justice known as the Oscars, Seattlest yelled at the television, complained about the idiocy of the Academy, and railed against the ham-handedness of the "best picture." Then we calmed down (with the help of a few drinks) and headed to the Rendezvous for some down-tempo music. We were there to see Trespassers William, a SoCal-based four-piece who relocated to Seattle to record their latest album, Having, released last Tuesday. While the music did serve to soothe our weary, rageful soul, ultimately, it didn't leave much of a lasting impression.

You can't say they aren't talented: with the band's varied instrumentation and singer Anna-Lynne Williams' steady, hollow voice, their sound is haunting and hypnotic. It's too bad then that amongst all the complex textures, there wasn't a single hook. Not a one. The resulting songs were mesmerizing, but completely indistinguishable from each other---we're pretty sure we wouldn't be able to pick any of them out of a line-up. Even when we really enjoyed a particular piece, as soon as it was over, it evaporated in the air, leaving us without a clue as to the tune or the lyrics. Trespassers William's music is ambient and subtle, peaceful and serene; all in all, it's pleasant enough, something we imagine might sound nice in an opium den. If anything, it was just a little too understated, a little too safe, for something to stick with us after the fact. Unlike Crash, which is egregiously over the top and sucks balls.

Trespassers William's CD release show will be at Chop Suey on March 29th.