Boosted by a fearless, punch-you-in-the-face positivity that is both rare and refreshing, Abner Trio mash tumbling guitar lines, bewildering arrangements, and idiot-savant-spoken-word into songs that (amazingly) sound a lot like pop music. Beneath the weirdness, the music of Abner Trio contains an unwavering and highly developed pop-sensibility, brought to the forefront by their densely layered and meticulously arranged vocal melodies. Bothering very little with traditional song structures, Abner seems to allow the songs to move where they're supposed to, lilting and bursting along like a feel-good Sebadoh gorged on Joan of Arc. 

 

Beginning in 2005, and releasing their first album "Distant Thunder of the Sacred Force" on Joyful Noise in 2006, Abner Trio has always been a band that thrives on the unique and organic interaction between band members. The intricately calculated yet gritty style of Clinton Hughey's guitar work combines with Daniel Paquette's stream of subconsciousness lyrics - which themselves seem to embrace a brave sense of humor (see: opening lines to "Scurvy Killers") while channeling madmen and Old Testament prophets. Behind it all sits the patiently powerful drumming of Karl Hofstetter, punching in explosive accents when necessary, and seeming to thrive on the re-assemblage of simple beats into his own occasionally confounding patterns. 

 

This giant of a record may indeed crush you, but that's only because it's giving you a bear hug and doesn't know its own strength.