Let’s play fact and deduction. Fact: Improvement Movement is comprised of Anthony Aparo (guitar, vocals), Zach Pyles (keys, synth), and Tim Friesen (bass), all former members of Culture Culture, who once banded together to create euphoric synth-pop before dissolving after two irrepressibly catchy EPs. The corresponding deduction? Surely this new project maintains some semblance of that group’s punchy grooves and infectious hooks. And to some extent, I suppose, that would be right. Chunklet Industries, the label releasing their forthcoming 7″, calls the trio a psychedelic pop band, and that’s as good of a descriptor as any. The reality, however, is a bit more malleable and elastic.
Take “Strange Secrets Worth Knowing,” for instance. The song’s plodding stomp and Beatles-like harmonies put it squarely in the camp of vintage ‘60s pop and rock practiced by the likes of Tame Impala or Temples. But listen to the track unwind and it seems like each successive rotation unlocks some enchanting new mystery—a fissure of white noise here, a plume of iridescent synths there—until suddenly the canvas you thought you were immersed in has morphed into something else entirely. As titles go, this one is probably as self-referential as it gets, but that’s really neither here nor there. What really matters is Improvement Movement are some damn fine songwriters, and their willingness to stray beyond the boundaries of the comfortable and expected make their music well worth exploring.
Listen below.
“Strange Secrets Worth Knowing” b/w “It’s a Situation ” is out Feb. 13. Pre-orders are available here.
Improvement Movement will make their live debut and celebrate the release of their new 7″ on Wed., Feb. 13 at 529 alongside Eyelids, Robert Schneider, and Mongo. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $8. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: improvementmovement.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @myimprovementmovement