Cassette Review: The Myriad Ones "The Hardest Part" (Already Dead Tapes)

$5 //
Edition of 60 //
https://alreadydeadtapes.bandcamp.com/album/ad279-the-myriad-ones-the-hardest-part

The music of  The Myriad Ones begins with this trippy drone.   Vocals come in and I wonder if this is what it will be: guitar drone and singing.   The Myriad Ones is essentially the duo of Bob Bucko Jr. and Storm Ross, who you should both know by name, though there are guest spots on here as well.   After a bit the songs kick in and it has this rock feel somewhere between Dinosaur Jr and Cheap Trick. 

Almost right on schedule when the music brings about drum machines and a sense of darkness, demons even, who do I hear come out rapping but Darko the Super.    The thing about this is, I knew Darko the Super was on here because I try to keep up with most of what he does (as well as BBJr) and even before I pressed play I saw his name in the linear notes.   And yet when I hear his voice it still feels like a surprise and all I can think if "Of course you're in this weirdo rock".

A slower song like the Flaming Lips and then a faster paced punk number take us into the guest spot from Kristina Castañeda, who belts out this ballad like K's Choice.   Once you hear Kristina Castañeda the cassette takes a turn for the 1980's and not in a bad way-- it's just new wave/no wave some kind of soundtrack from back then and even when BBJr. lends his voice to the songs they still make me feel as if I'm watching "Pretty In Pink".

It's funny that there are so many reasons why you should own this cassette.  Maybe you're a fan of BBJr.   Maybe you're a fan of Storm Ross.   Maybe you just like when two established artists get together to make something such as this.   (Which is also odd because this is the second duo I've reviewed recently which hasn't just had their names like "Bucko & Ross" or something, if that makes any sense, the other being Star Turbine)

But maybe you want to listen to this cassette for the parts where Kristina Castañeda appears.   I feel dated in saying this, but I got a promo CD for "Woke up early the day I died" back when it came out and it has remained one of my favorite albums to this day.   Granted, the title is what brought me into it initially but the music was just life-changing for me at that time even if I didn't know how much it would be back then.   So, I mean, are we calling this a supergroup or not?

If for some reason though you think this one isn't going to stay weird, it does.   After the singing is through you'll hear instrumental music with guitars that kind of remind me of Rush and they're just so technically sound.   It's not that it's weird in a general sense but rather because it strays from that rock vibe the cassette seemed to be getting me used to and it goes into a different rock vibe.    No matter what kind of rock this is, vocals or not, it is something you should be blasting out of your speakers.