Out of the Anonymous Returns to Form With CD Number Four

​Out of the Anonymous
CD Number Four
(Self-released)
oota.com

The last time I had the pleasure to review Out of the Anonymous within these pages was way back in 2004 with their sophomore release, Masked Media.

And this trio of extremely adept musicians has now shared more than a decade together and the individual members have always gelled intuitively. On record, they seem deliberate and planned, which is fine. But live, they are a whole different animal.

And like animals, wild animals even, this band's moves and reactions can be unexpected, whimsical, full of guts, and quite fun. It is always a pleasure to see good musicians do their thing. But these three know each other so well, the actual process is pure bliss to witness.

Perez, I imagine, tinkers away in his home at all hours of the night. And this imbues the music with a cultured outlook on world sounds as well as a streak of paranoia at home with Japanese mecha films, David Lynch dreamscapes, and lucid morning moments.

There are elements of Middle Eastern and Eurasian music -- not to mention well-crafted amalgams of organic and digital sounds, and pop sensibilities. These are mostly instrumental tracks that veer toward electronic, acid jazz, and trip-hop. But they are also pretty rock 'n' roll in their own right.



Going back to Out of the Anonymous's greatness on the live plane, CD Number Four is the band's first official release that truly captures the jam in its primal form. And repeated listens have revealed endless layers.

While I'd hate to nitpick and single tracks out, it's cheeky to note that the opener "Midnight Deceptions" does a good job of deceiving with its upbeat tempo and exhilarated execution. But the rest of the album is a run through dark alleys of future dystopias, ghostly vocals and the possibility that robots will one day rule over us. These are long and beautiful jams -- dark, mysterious, complex, affordable, engaging, evolving. These are the sounds of a cavernous psyche.

Out of the Anonymous. Friday, February 25. Fox's Sherron Inn, 6030 S. Dixie Hwy., South Miami. The show starts at 10:30 p.m. Call 305-666-2230.

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