After the cold, detached album Take Nothing for Granted,
Andrew Duke comes back to involving themes and engaging music on
Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should. The title refers to how the Halifax Regional Municipality lets promoters build anything anywhere while condemning the architectural heritage of his hometown to be wiped out. This reflection on the urban environment complements what had been featured on the album Physical and Mental Health and echoes the feelings of revolt permeating throughout More Destructive Than Organized. And yet, if sound sources evoke the legacy of Man (titles like "Non-Constructive Construction" and "Paradise Paving" are self-explanatory) and the advance of technology ("May Might Can Could" appears to be a variation on the ring of a telephone), the music in general refrains from becoming too figurative. Rhythm occurs as the result of looping, shaping the pieces into toe-tapping artifacts that don't actually invite you to dance. "Non-Constructive Construction" and "Paradise Paving" are the most obvious, listener-grabbing tracks, their rhythmical construction-related sounds evoking the conquering march of steel and concrete over historical buildings. The latter, featuring field recordings by
Sandro Perri (aka
Polmo Polpo), is of particular interest. So are "PHC," "Insidious," and "Vinyl Hiss Voice," the latter featuring Loam. "Container Anxiety (Version)," is an extended and much reworked/remixed version of the piece "Container Anxiety" which concluded
Duke's 2002 album Highest Common Denominator. A conversation between
Duke and
Kim Cascone on music-making and the production of an album, it gives the disc its title (which actually refers to the total duration a CD can have).
Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should is
Andrew Duke at his best: sharp, insidious, varied, captivating and genre-pushing. Recommended. ~ François Couture