Brooklyn-based Vague Plot is an instrumental quintet exploring the dotted line between improvisation and composition. The band’s new album, Crying in 9, will be released on March 1st via Island House Recordings, a New York City-based label I’ve meant to write about for a while.
Island House has dropped many great records over the past few years, including releases from Joseph Allred, Emergency Group, Seawind of Battery, tarotplane, and more. So, I was excited when Tim at the label shot me an email and gave me a sneak peek at this new record from Vague Plot.
Jonathan Byerley of Emergency Group (read my interview with him here) wrote the liner notes for Vague Plot’s new album, which I’ll paraphrase and quote below.
Vague Plot started as a post-pandemic weekly jam among Brooklyn music veterans Zachary Cale, Phil Jacob (Psychic Lines), Ben Copperhead, Uriah Theriault, and Jon Studer. They’re now a full-fledged live band whose process is its medium as much as its instrumentation. That process is improvisation, and the band’s debut album features music mainly composed on the spot as it was recorded. Byerley’s Emergency Group functions similarly.
Repetition is a crucial ingredient to Vague Plot’s improvisational approach. The players listen more than they play. Instead of psychedelic freakouts or huge leads, Vague Plot gently guides the listener into a hypnotic state before a well-place turnaround or chord change reminds us the band is composed of songwriters first and foremost.
Byerley finishes the liner notes by saying, “I’ve been fortunate enough to catch both live performances these guys have played to date, and can attest that Crying in 9 does their live set justice and hints at what is to come.”
The album starts with “Moto,” a free-flowing jam with a runtime of over eight minutes. The saxophone fades in and out behind Zachary Cale and Uriah Theriault’s twin guitar attack. I was thinking of how orderly the instrumental jam was despite likely being composed on the spot. As Byerley notes, the song then settles into a “death blues that will appeal to fans of Cale’s earliest work.” I’m not sure exactly what “death blues” is, but it has a gnarly ring to it, and the second half of “Moto” conveys the sound.
“Another Span of Steps” brings a heady groove that goes down smoothly like a cold drink on a hot day. Phil Jacobs’ saxophone playing is what I enjoyed the most, the way it complements the other instruments and fits the mood perfectly. “Backwards Dub” is next, which Byerley calls “post-punk Western.” Ben “Baby” Copperhead’s bass certainly makes it feel like a dub track, and the shimmering keyboard playing takes us into realms previously unknown.
“Cyclic” rocks harder than the previous track, keeping the groove and reaching “full-flight catharsis,” says Byerley. The guitar riff repetition builds into euphoric moments that must be a great joy to see live. “Haunted Head” is slower and more melancholy as the band brings the tempo down and reflects on the journey thus far. Byerley calls this a “downer dirge,” the track title reminded me of an old Ryan Adams song called “Halloweenhead.” We all have our demons, right?
The album closes with the roughly nine-minute composition “Windswept,” which Byerley says is like “Popul Vuh’s ‘Letzte Tage Letzte Nächte’ as interpreted by a quintet of red-eyed Louisiana barflies.” The track has a chilled-out vibe and a beautiful spaciousness, making it stand out on the record.
Crying in 9 is an excellent debut LP from the Brooklyn denizens of Vague Plot, and it should appeal to fans of offbeat psychedelic instrumentals. This is music for heads made by heads, in the best sense of the term. The record will drop on March 1st, so head to Island House’s Bandcamp profile for more details. While you’re at it, head to Vague Plot’s Bandcamp page and check out their live EP from the summer of 2023, Mama Tried 06.24.23. Enjoy!
Find Crying in 9 on the Island House Recordings Bandcamp page here.
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