Pitchfork

Genre labels have become so divided and sub-divided over the years that it's virtually impossible to identify a band's style without resorting to comparisons, vague descriptions, or complex strings of abbreviated, one-syllable tags to offer a general idea of the various styles a band might be dabbling in. Forget simple terms like rock, punk, or hardcore; we've already soared past to post-rock, post-punk, and what seems like a never-ending list of "-cores."

Athens, Georgia's Cinemechanica are a product of this sort of puzzling problem. As I listen to the nine tracks on their debut full length, The Martial Arts, reference points flash from all over the place. If Don Caballero is post-rock, then Cinemechanica is as well. Two back-to-back instrumental tracks in the middle of this album are fine examples. "Take Me to the Hospital" builds a foundation of brooding bass lines, and then layers guitars over the top that range from fluid leads to walls of chaotic chords. "Get Outta Here Hitler" explodes with rapid-fire snare fills and squealing guitars, and later intensifies things with distorted bass and frenetic rhythms.

But then again, if Drive Like Jehu is post-punk, and if Q and not U and Faraquet are post-hardcore, then go ahead and attach those labels to Cinemechanica also. On "I'm Tired of Paul McCartney" the band recalls those styles by mixing screamed vocals and dense chords with almost-melodic finger-tapped guitar noodling. Cinemechanica make it clear early in the track that they have little interest in the traditional verse-chorus-verse song structure. In "Ruins of Karnac", guitars alternate throughout the verses, creating their own complex syncopated rhythm that's accentuated by their being hard panned to opposite speakers.

Along with Joel Hatstat's bass, drummer Mike Albanese's frantic beats create a powerful rhythm section that, despite being in constant motion, leaves room for Andy Pruett and Bryant Williamson to interweave their dizzying guitar lines in the foreground. All four shine on "Brain Tarp", where Albanese's drumming drives jazzy guitars into something much more chaotic. Hell, if not for the straightforward instrumentation and the brevity of the songs-- the average length is about three minutes-- even prog-rock could be a descriptor. But really, genre labels rarely aptly describe the bands they're attached to, and they certainly do little to explain the spastic, razor-sharp music on The Martial Arts.