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Renminbi: The
Great Leap EP
I think I need to confess at the outset that I was totally set up to hate this album. All the warning signs were there: pretentious liner notes, a New York address (nothing against the Big Apple, but it is all too often the breeding ground of unlistenable and overly self-important art-rock), and a member of the band whose duties seem to involve provoking the audience. Though with that disclosure made, I can only testify to ultimately enjoying this band immensely. It didnt happen right away. My first cursory listen only confirmed my original intuitions, but with more and more listens, I began to really start to appreciate Renminbi. And at the time of this review, I have come to the conclusion that Renminbis second EP, The Great Leap, is one of the better and more interesting albums I have heard this year. Some critics have argued that art should be judged by its own standards; that is, art should be judged by what the artists are attempting to accomplish, rather than some supposedly objective standard. Im not sure if this is correct or not, but I can say that Im not sure what Renminbi are attempting to accomplish. Im not even sure if they know. In any case, their music ends up being artful without being ponderous or boring. In fact, as so often is not the case, their instrumental songs, A Delay and Electonika, are two of their most interesting songs, sometimes sounding like a more melodic Fugazi backed up by a Joy Division-esque rhythm section (really only a drummer). This may sound odd, but, as opposed to Fugazi, whose effects are often anxious and fractured, the sound here is alternately subdued and beautiful, as well as excited and beautiful. The third song, Call and Response, is the most conventional on the EP, and while it definitely takes a cue from the Sonic Youth school of songwriting, it ends up sounding more like the meandering beauty of Murray St. rather than the apocalyptic soul of EVOL or SISTER. Basically, the bottom line is that this is a good release. It is only an EP, and in that sense it can be disappointing. It is varied and visionary, not settling on a sound but letting the sound evolve. If Renminbi keeps it up, they will ultimately be able to create a truly crucial album. Think of The Great Leap as a preview of coming attractions, a warning of great things to come. Hopefully.
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