Pitchfork

Guillermo Scott Herren previously used his Prefuse 73 alias to get past security and catch up on his reading, and he's preparing to bust it out once again this fall. The man apparently loves collaboration, and on this track from the forthcoming album he works with ethereal Brooklyn rockers School of Seven Bells. "Class of 73 Bells" features the dense production touched with dissonance characteristic of P73, with woozy fake strings, flute, twinkling bells, and guitar feedback elbowing for space in the stereo field. Despite the track's complexity it holds together quite well, somehow obtaining a sort of formal elegance as it coasts along over the stiff drum machine beat. The School of Seven Bells vocals are left alone for the most part, as they come together on a simple, half-chanted neo-folk melody, floating above and through the thick sonics.