Standards
Standards shows that Tortoise's calm reputation tells only part of the story. The band can also play forcefully and unpredictably. Drums have a larger role in the movement while guitars and electronically treated sounds keep adjusting their places. This remains instrumental music with room for nuance, but rarely something that disappears unnoticed into the background.
Seneca starts with noise and heavy drums. As the rhythm becomes clearer, other parts gradually arrive: guitar, strange sounds and handclaps. The track avoids releasing its tension all at once. The group continue building by changing how the parts move around each other.
On Benway, an atmospheric beginning turns into a much more active bass movement. Jazzier playing and bright percussion later gain influence. It demonstrates how the band can develop a track without aiming for a conventional chorus. Melody finds its meaning within the rhythm and need not remain at the front.
Six Pack smoothly connects guitar, bass and percussion. The short Eden 2 places greater emphasis on rhythm. Monica instead starts with a calm, almost hip-hop-like movement before the percussive details increase. Closing track Speakeasy chooses a darker mood and lets its tension build gradually.
The precise playing has a drawback. Standards sometimes sounds so polished and controlled that it becomes slightly distant. All that movement also demands more attention than the calmer colours might suggest. Yet the band give their experimental approach enough rhythmic pleasure. Processing and interaction belong together. Tortoise use the studio to open new possibilities while retaining a clear sense of musicians at work. That relationship gives the record character beyond its clever construction and makes its strongest passages thoroughly engaging.
