A challenging, quirky and romantic side step from Chino Moreno and pals

Crosses ††† finally gets released...

Crosses is out now on Sumerian Records - 6/10

In many ways, Crosses' debut full-length feels like an experiment. The band, featuring Deftones frontman Chino Moreno, Far guitarist Shaun Lopez and the enigmatic Chuck Doom have collected remastered versions of the songs on their first two EPs and five more tracks for this effort, and to a certain extent, that shows. It's an odd, engaging, interesting but evasive record, rich in melodic quirks, electronic beats, burst of delightful pop and paranoid lurches. It's not the most welcoming first, second or even third listen, and it feels very much like a collection of songs as opposed to a fully coherent record, but there's something about it that makes you want to further explore. http://youtu.be/PAtXbpD0EZo Of course, as with Moreno's previous ventures in Team Sleep and Palms, part of the appeal of Crosses is simply hearing one of modern music's best vocalist step out of his day job and try something different, and this is as far removed from Deftones as both of those projects. Because it's quirky, make no mistake. The playful poppy bass line on Telepathy is almost joyous, underlining an upbeat, accessible single; recently released Bitches Brew possesses an alluring, fuzzy chorus and a throbbing pulse, ending in a torrent of noise and screams and closer Death Bell is mellow, piano-led and rhythmless. They're all interesting to listen to in their own right, and there's enough variation throughout the entirety of the record to keep it interesting, even if there is a sense that this isn't the most structured of releases. But then again, if it was made to sound like a chronicle of the band up to this point, then it's a success. And Crosses have enough quality and quantity behind them to make their existence worthwhile, for sure, (even if the stylising of the † symbol will potentially grate mp3 players everywhere). 6/10  

COMMENTS