Akron/Family preview

Akron/Family
Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago
Friday, September 7, 2007

With four days until the release of their fourth album, this nigh-comically unhinged quartet will come to Chicago and nearly come together.

Resistant to categorization, Akron/Family can cheaply be described as four people singing together while stirring chaos with their instruments. An unwieldy marriage of hippie communion does daily battle with an anti-folk tabulation that usually results in anything going. Their last album, 2006’s Meek Warrior (Young God), hedged this bet further while taking on a Chicago post rock tint (due in part to contributions from Windy City jazzbo Hamid Drake).

But Love Is Simple, due Tuesday, replaces old leftfield fascinations with a noticeable chunk of acid-drenched classic rock. Drop in frequent incantations of “love,” and you have Barrett-era Floyd dancing with Polyphonic Spree or pre-widescreen Flaming Lips. Bad thing? Hardly. These are still New York art freaks who’d just as likely cut some cables as keep a steady beat. But it’s also a consistently rewarding listen that realizes the gang-vocal thing will grow into a gimmick if they don’t start learning how to play songs people can remember.

Greg Davis and Megafun will open.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly