ALBUM REVIEW: Source Crossfire – Sofa

To say that SOFA are a hard listen would be something of an understatement – although not on quite the same level of extreme as the likes of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, they are certainly as experimental and out there in their musical approach. Source Crossfire takes in the majority of their final full release Grey, alongside around half each of Town Unsafe and Record from the mid-90s. It demonstrates a range of the sound they had from across their career, spanning noise, post-hardcore and post-rock, amid more than a smattering of art-rock.

Let’s start with their less abrasive side, using Current and 80000 as prime examples of their rather more melodic side, albeit with the vocals almost buried beneath the music in the mix. Stepping mainly away from the noise that pervades their later work especially, Current focuses specifically on a rather downbeat, introspective feeling sound, while 80000 actually bridges across a similar vibe and a rather more clang-riddled chorus. The pulling of the vocals deeper into the mix of both actually adds to the brooding sensation, an adept manner of captivation in the same way that the likes of TOOL would use their rhythmic bass hooks to draw you in which adds some almost hidden depth through quite a simple method.

When it comes to their harsher side, songs like Monotone are a big step in that direction. While the vocals are less withdrawn, their noise-infused art-rock definitely starts to rear its ugly head somewhat more, with the guitar and bass blaring through to create a wall of noise that has each individual part straining to make itself heard above the other. Stepping even further away from their softer approach we have Comma, a track as insistent on trying to worm its way into your head as a particularly annoying woodpecker into a tree it has taken a major shine to. It’s a song complete with time signature changes to emphasise more the experimental approach that can be found in a lot of SOFA‘s work, while album opener Chi2Chi is even more of an elbow to the face in the middle of a mosh pit jarring track that relies even more heavily on blunt force trauma noise to make its impact in your cranium.

As mentioned, SOFA are not an easy listen, although if you are a fan of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, MR BUNGLE or bands of their ilk, this could be a well-hidden gem for you to discover. While their softer end will have a much wider appeal than their more aggressive aural assault, there is plenty splattered throughout these 16 tracks to give you as full an introduction to the band as you could hope for, showcasing quite what they can do and the myriad of ways they express themselves musically. There is a lot of depth that will take much more than one listen to fully absorb, even before you begin to actually digest it, meaning that not only will you likely want to listen to it repeatedly, but that doing so will actually be a rewarding experience too.

Rating: 7/10

Source Crossfire is out now via Constellation Records.

Follow SOFA on Bandcamp.