Cave Bat’s brand of synthed-out, psychedelic exploration isn’t new to Atlanta’s ears; the band has been beyond prolific, releasing twenty – count them – albums since 2014. Triptych, dedicated to the late Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, is the latest in this ever-expanding canon. Whimsical, circular synths, mechanical, ominous drones, and a hazy, naval-gazing aesthetic collide into an engaging listen that tumbles down the rabbit hole of its own adventurous ambition. For any other band that last remark may have been a condemnation. But for Cave Bat, that’s the recognition of a fulfilled promise: exploratory jams that aren’t afraid to go off the map.
No track better encapsulates this approach than album opener “Ceaseless Perplexity.” An aura of whimsy and foreboding pulses out the speakers in the form of a spiraling, electronic lead backed by thick, portentous tones. Expanding, contracting, and morphing over its eight minutes, the band harks back to the basic principles of Tangerine Dream through a progressive filter. Guessing the trajectory of these tracks is a difficult — if borderline impossible — task.
“At the End” adheres to this same mantra. The unsettling industrial whirr and booming percussion gradually morph towards cascading blips of noise and swirling electronics. Permutations of psychedelic noise weave in and out with such constancy that any hope of a satisfying conclusion seems ridiculous, but there’s bound to be an “Aha!” moment when the pieces click and fall into place. And, yes, they most certainly do.
Loose but logical, spaced-out but keenly focused, Triptych is a sound puzzle for an audience that enjoys untangling its music as much as actually listening to it. More than once, Triptych seems as if it’s gone too far, and lost itself in its own wandering. But for those who are willing to pay the high cost of undivided attention, the pieces eventually align together. While so many electronic, synth, and drone records allow for multi-tasking over a textbook or computer game, Cave Bat has refused to make such an album. The recommendation? Best served with headphones, a dark room, and nothing else but the willingness to lose yourself in sound.
More Info
Bandcamp: cavebat.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @clanofthecavebat