Upon first listen to Dowsing Anemone in Copper Tongue, one may find himself in a bit of a brainfog. My first impression of the album as I was listening to it for the first time was along the lines of, "Well, the music isn't bad..." but I struggled to find any redeeming qualities in it. Kayo Dot are a bit extraterrestrial in the sense that they're kind of "out there," but after repeated listens, I found that they truly excel on this album. "_on Limpid Form" starts off masterfully, with soaring guitars and beautiful vocals, but then takes a complete 180 when ear-splitting feedback is introduced. These passages sprinkled throughout the album seem ambiguous and can be tough to get through, but they ultimately add to the majesty of this album. "Aura on an Asylum Wall" is equally magnificent, too.
maudlin/Kayo Dot continue to grow with this release, which sees a larger shift away from their metal influences and into a more free form category. However, the songs are all still just as epic and gripping as ever; and right from the start you see how much more of a sustained kickass this is than its contemporaries.
This beast keeps growing on me with every listen. It's been almost 5 years since it was released, I wasn't blown away by it initially but I keep finding new things to enjoy when I load the tracks and veg out.
I'm trying to put into words how beautiful Kayo Dot's first two albums are and I'm failing tremendously. By admitting how much of a failure the fucking English language as a whole is to not have something for Kayo Dot (no, beautiful is not hyperbolic enough), I hope you understand that they really are that curmgluhlishuggin.
After their astonishing and beautiful debut, Kayo Dot reach a different sound and style, creating a less beautiful and more tense atmosphere in all of their songs here. Many times this album has been acclaimed, even in this site, but many times it tends to be forgotten and underrated. Personally, I think it's a great album that should be a little more loved.
