Heathen Disco Music Reviews #0092 (May 9, 2025)

Couple for Friday, gotta go get out in the sun for a bit so enjoy, subscribe, keep sending the music along — PO Box 25717, Chicago IL 60625 USA // [email protected]

WATER DAMAGE Instruments 2xLP (12XU) / The Earl 032625 DL (self-released)

Couple more Ent-sized earthmover compositions from Austin’s finest heavy drone ensemble. I don’t think the sound Water Damage makes from release to release can be considered refinements – it’s the same process, turn it on and it’s there, turn it off and it’s theoretically not, though may still be ringing in your brainpan for a while. If anything this unit’s received more attention over the last year or two, with Euro dates and a prominent placement at this year’s Big Ears festival. Like Three 6, they have once been the “most known unknowns” but are perched more firmly now. Instruments follows in the lead of last year’s In E, as the group has outgrown the confines of a single album in their studio release practice. David Grubbs and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi join the melee this time around, and there’s a cover by Water Damage progenitors Pärson Sound to close things out. That cover also makes up the live recording from Atlanta’s The Earl, recorded back in late March, and guesting Rosali Middleman on guitar. It’s also twice the length of the version from Instruments, and will make you feel like you’ve been listening to this one your entire life. Tell me, what music out there can erase your musical memory the way this squadron does? At least with projects like Oneida or France, the longform repetitive pieces play as if they had a start and an end, like you’re going to get something else out of them. You can’t say the same for Water Damage. It stays with you, not so much like the curse of overplayed commercial pop music (see Maren Morris’ “The Middle” playing in a waiting room or Walgreen’s), more like a release from that. No shitty chocolate or brochures to carry afterwards either.

More jams after the jump.