2000

The Allegory of Hearing - 92%

            This is indeed a unique and genius album from New Zealand songwriter Roy Montgomery. What does it sound like? Repeating guitar patterns played with lo-fi production and some synth thrown in for good measure. The song titles paint a picture of each song, some titles could even flow together, but really they could mean whatever you want. It is a minimalist experiment reminiscent of instrumentals on Another Green World, but this could be any world. The "allegory" is open, it can stand for nothing or everything. Each song has a universal quality, though among the shorter ones, "Rock, Sea, Muse, Seek", "From a Promontory", and "Above All" are my favorites. Really it all flows together, making a true album of sorts and a completely original statement in today's fast-paced society.

            The track that takes up half of the album, "At the Intersection of Werner and Herzog", represents what would happen if the "idea" of this simplistic, instrumental repetition were expanded in length. It works, presenting a shifting work of art that towers above most other of these kinds of experiments. It is not "mind blowing" in the usual sense (Wenders' Wings of Desire film did pop into my head at one point), but if you close your eyes you are transported into another world: a world where images form and the music tells a story all of its own. It is a riveting listen, and can soothe and irritate at different points in the music, though always staying pleasant. On first listen The Allegory of Hearing all sounds very similar, but the patterns distinguish themselves over time and it is never boring; quite the opposite. To say more albums should experiment like this is beside the point I guess, but I will say this is an overlooked masterwork that will stand the test of time, and it makes me want to purchase Montgomery's whole discography to say the least.