This underground heavy music supergroup of sorts is a collaboration between Aaron Turner of
Isis and
James Plotkin and Tim Wyskida of
Khanate. On
Secret House, Jodis have none of
Isis' slow, looping riffs, and while their music is spacious and feels improvised at times, it also avoids the spookhouse vibe of
Khanate. Instead, it strikes a middle course that's somewhat like heavy indie rock. Turner's vocals veer back and forth between a croon and a hoarse roar, as always, as
Plotkin's bass rings out deep and loud and Wyskida's drums skitter and boom. He rarely emphasizes the cymbals, preferring instead to accent and imply momentum with carefully placed rolls and bass drum detonations. Turner's guitar work is more about slowly rising and falling feedback than riffs, metallic or otherwise, and the lyrics are chanted rather than sung. This is an album meant to float from the speakers in a darkened room, slowly making its way from beginning to end with no memory of the journey once it's complete, other than a feeling of melancholy exhaustion. ~ Phil Freeman