Whelan’s, Dublin
There seem to be two types of Tortoise fans: those who listen, heads swaying, to the complex rhythms, jazz inflections and sudden musical shifts, counting off the bars, noting the intricate time signatures and admiring the clockwork rhythms and intelligent sonic exploration; and those who ditch all the muso-speak and simply dig those outta-sight grooves. That this band can keep both sets of fans delighted is testament to their crafted approach. This is a dangerous gateway band: one gig is enough to send you off researching musical avenues and genres you hadn’t previously considered, and it could do serious damage to your wallet when you realise you need to expand your record collection tenfold.
Tortoise’s approach is intelligent and considered, and the performance is terrifically energetic. They play with two drum kits facing each other centre-stage, with the other instruments, including various bass, keyboards, synths, guitars, an electronic marimba and a vibraphone, ranged around them, which is as good a description of the songs’ structure as you’ll find. The band rotate instruments, but generally John McEntire is building great grooves on the kit, with a snare crack and bass push that could knock down a horse, while Doug McCombs grooves and growls the bass around those rhythmic lines; Dan Bitney and Jeff Parker add terrific texture with a shifting electronic blanket of noise, bleeps and funky guitar lines that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Jay-Z track, while John Herndon bounces between keys and drums, filling in rhythmic gaps left by McEntire to build the percussive conversation at the heart of the tracks.
This is seriously well-crafted music, but it also beats with a heart of funk and rock. Some of the dynamics in the songs lack a little variety, with all the instruments quickly rolling into place and pushing the melody and beat for six or seven minutes. But the band know how to keep their powder dry and leave space at the heart of the tracks that allows the other players enough room to shift and manoeuvre. Deeply impressive, and impossible not to groove to.
