If youve never been able to get over the sound of the drums on Charlotte Sometimes, welcome brothers and sisters, weve been saving a seat for you. A Different Arrangement is the 2012 debut LP from New York coldwave reanimators Black Marble, then a duo comprised of Chris Stewart and Ty Kube but since reduced to a Stewart solo project. The bands first album marries the instant accessibility of classic New Order singles with the icy austerity of some band reissued by Minimal Wave youve never heard of, brimming with catchy picked bass, discordant synths and husky vocals. Opener Cruel Summer gets straight to the point with what remains the bands finest ever bassline and one of Stewarts catchiest hooks. The robotic coldwave of UK, Safe Minds and Limitations are enough to turn you to stone, but occasional moments of warmth ooze through the cold steel framework: A Great Design and MSQ No-Extra hint at a sentimental cadence Stewart would later perfect on Its Immaterial. To think youve been wasting your time listening to the Stranger Things soundtrack when this records been under your nose for the better part of a decade. Recommended.
BONUS: Read our Q+A with Black Marble’s Chris Stewart from 2019
- black vinyl pressing
- digital download included
- music label: Hardly Art 2012
reviewed by KY Tube 11/2020
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