Missoula Independent
written by: Mike Keefe-Feldman (04.08.2004)
Headphone music at its best. Missoula quintet This is a Process of a Still Life traveled to Haywire Studio in Portland to record this debut, which was later mixed by Chad Clark, best known for his work with Fugazi. And a sweet mix it is—tremolo intact, the seven tracks here lull you into a childlike daze yet still retain some snap, crackle and pop where appropriate. The consistency of this kind of ambient sound will trigger many writers to use the term “soundscape,” which doesn’t really say a whole lot.
But basically, this is one of those albums where you’ll never learn the names of the individual song titles—it all just blends together in one beautiful rolling wave. Guitarists Ben Rouner and Scott Kennedy work in tandem but give each other ample space, like a couple playing footsies without actually touching toes. This would be the perfect soundtrack to a slice-of-life film where the protagonist winds up exactly where he or she started, or perhaps to watching water drops fall from an icicle. Not boring, but meditative. In other words, fans of Mogwai and Tortoise will rabidly devour this disc and return hungry for seconds.
