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Causa Sui

Return to Sky

Written by: BV on 31/03/2016 22:26:33

My fascination (and infatuation) with Causa Sui dates all the way back to 2008 where I first heard “Summer Sessions Vol. 1” at a friend’s house, drunk on sporting a decent buzz on cheap beer. I was hooked immediately. Since then I’ve been following the band and have even reviewed some of their previous efforts. With “Return to Sky”, Causa Sui release their 10th full length album (11th if you count “Live at Freak Valley”), once more posing a persistent question; can they keep up with their own output and remain interesting?

Album opener “Dust Meridian” implies a fairly strong ‘yes’ to that particular question as it opens with almost mandatory jazz-influenced drumming and a semi-distorted, persistent bass groove. Minimalist guitar sounds enter and exit on a fairly loose basis until the 2-minute mark where the organ finally appears whilst the guitar temporarily culminates in a wah-fueled sense of ecstasy – thus giving way to a more dominant organ following it almost immediately. “Dust Meridian” is a prime example of highly diverse instrumental rock from start to finish as it evolves from a burst of energy to an almost ethereal middle segment fueled by ambiance and subtle textures until it slowly fades away like dust in the wind – with only a mild oscillation letting us know that this particular track has ended.

“Mondo Buzzo” is, in my mind, a classic recipe for a Causa Sui track and it actually reminds me quite a lot of “The Juice” from “Euporie Tide” – not in general terms, but more in the sense that they are both examples of that very characteristic outburst from shimmering, ethereal ambience to an almost scuzzy, fuzz-laden crescendo. That particular element is a classic Causa Sui thing in my mind, the almost effortless blend of beautiful ambience and downright dirty stoner rock as if those two things were meant to be together, yet somehow are far too often kept apart.

“Return to Sky”, the album’s title track, is curiously enough also by far my favorite track of the album. The shimmering modulated guitar sound and the jazz-influenced drumming meld perfectly with the heavy bass-grooves that are eventually nudged in before the track reaches a temporary climax four minutes in, only to once again slumber, build up slowly and climax in a far more repetitive, less aggressive manner. The entirety of the track progresses rather seamlessly and gives off the illusion that it could quite possibly be a live take made up on the spot. It’s a beautiful construct in and of itself and one I genuinely believe to be the highlight of the album.

I do miss certain elements of “Euporie Tide” on this particular album as I feel there aren’t any genuinely straightforward tracks which could serve as nice little breathers in between the lengthy escapades for which we all know and love Causa Sui. Still, it is marvelous that a band can reach double digits on their number of releases without sounding more dated or stuck than what is only fair and to be expected. At this point in time, Causa Sui have developed a characteristic sound and it is only fair that they stick to it as long as this sound still produces powerful instrumental tracks.

Download: Dust Meridian, Return to Sky, Mondo Buzzo
For the fans of: Papir, Electric Moon, Colour Haze
Listen: Facebook

Release date 18.03.2016
El Paraiso Records