Posted on 06/03/2008
It’s the word that they always touched upon in Spanish class, only to assure you that, outside of Spain, you’d probably never encounter again in your life. Vosotros – roughly translated, it means “you all,” and The Lazy Susan fully embodies that definition, with some very tasty results.

Born out of the Vosotros record label’s year-long residency in downtown Los Angeles in 2007, The Lazy Susan is a compilation of twelve different collectives that were formed on a monthly basis. With bassist Gabe Noel acting as the only link between the 32 musicians featured on this record (all of the tunes are written by him), the potential for disjointed musical chaos is a definite risk, but The Lazy Susan is a positively eclectic and adventurous listening experience.

Treading the waters of trip hop, avant garde orchestral, hip hop, and folk music, the record is a schizophrenic ride, for sure. All of the musicians featured here are quite accomplished, and Noel’s arrangements and songwriting definitely strays from the conventional. The juxtaposition of organic instruments with trippy recording wizardry and more synthetic elements is a constant theme here; the jazzy vocals and keyboards of How Long it Takes to Know’s “To Do” is married to a skittering drum pattern that is as dizzying as it is captivating.

Some tracks, like First Good Feeling’s “Stay Woke!” hop genres within the confines of the song. The aforementioned tune begins with an abrasive synth line that coalesces with a rhythmic groove that Minus the Bear would adapt on a jaunt into acid jazz, and then dissolves into noise-rock, with an ambient outro.

If it all sounds a bit convoluted…well, it sort of is. There are times when the experimentalism borders on sheer pretentiousness. While the project’s goal may have been to disregard any type of classification, a slight amount of dialing down might have done The Lazy Susan some good. Still, for listeners seeking a wild and crazy aural ride driven by impeccable musicianship, Vosotros definitely delivers a smattering of styles that’s anything but lazy.

- Sean Kantrowitz