Something frightening for Wednesday. A genuinely disquieting listen; Romance, the recently released album from Brooklyn's Oneida, a band that have been putting out records since 1997. Romance might not be the first thought that comes into your head upon listening to it as the first two tracks alone offer up full on discord and feedback of the kind not best suited for candlelit dinners, unless the two of you are wearing shades and polo necks and share a devotion for needles and White Light / White Heat.
Elsewhere, the band explore slightly more accessible territory. Third track All In Due Time, is powered by a Motorik undertow reminiscent most obviously of Faust and Can. But this is not intended as easy listening and Oneida stick to the principle that everything they do should be challenging. They certainly asked some questions of me as I listened through to Romance the other day.
As if to prove the point, track five Lay of the Land stretches to almost eleven minutes and final track Shepherd's Axe lasts more than eighteen. Whether you have the stomach to stay the course will probably depend on whether you prefer Amon Duul II or The Monkees. If you favour the former, there is much here you'll enjoy, I have to confess I struggled slightly at times.
But it's worth bracing yourself because there's also much of interest. I switched for a while from Romance to the new albums I'm fondest of right now from Nap Eyes and Whyte Horses and had to admit that they both sounded tame by comparison despite their attractions. I'm sure I'll listen far more to both over the coming months but I'm also sure I'll return to Oneida when my mood is right. Twenty years in and still plenty of fire in their belly!
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