Add N to (X)'s third album,
Avant Hard, combines the noisy, analog aesthetic of their previous works with an increasingly sophisticated, structured approach. Though the group's overdriven, menacing synth sound prevails on songs like "Robot New York" and "Buckminster Fuller," unexpected touches like the operatic vocals on "Fyuz" and the go-go guitars on "Skills" provide a welcome contrast and round out the band's sonic palette.
Avant Hard finds Add N to (X) expanding their emotional range as well. The album begins with theoretical pieces like the aptly named "Barry 7's Contraption" and segues into a brace of filmic songs like the horror-show creepiness of "Steve's Going to Teach Himself Who's Boss" to the robo-porn soundtrack that is "Metal Fingers in My Body." "Revenge of the Black Regent" and "Ann's Eveready Equestrian" take this trend toward drama and build it to near Wagnerian heights, blending synths, strings, choral voices, and sound effects into symphonies of urban decay. Finally,
Avant Hard ends on a relatively gentle note, with a pair of songs -- "Oh Yeah Oh No" and "Machine Is Bored With Love" -- that explore Add N to (X)'s softer, even poignant side. "Machine" is based on samples from the early-'70s experimental band
Egg, adding to a long list of musical pioneers -- including
Joe Meek,
Suicide,
Kraftwerk, and
Bruce Haack -- that the group borrows from and updates. With analog savvy and rock attitude,
Avant Hard reveals itself as one of Add N to (X)'s finest moments. ~ Heather Phares