Cain Lindegreen reviews Asta Rangu. Entrtnmnt.
Guitars. Big, loud, weirdly tuned guitars. Dunedin-based Asta Rangu has them. There are drums, bass and some tasty synth flourishes but it really comes down to the guitars. Principal songwriter Richard Ley Hamilton, formally of Males, leads the charge, coaxing light and shade from his instrument. Switching from locked-in groove to towering wall of sound with the crack of a rim shot. All of this without sacrificing the delicacy that keeps pulling you closer, like somebody whispering in your ear then punching you in the chest. The production is clean, spacious and lets the melodies shine, yet intimate enough that when the hammer drops Asta Rangu explodes out of the speakers. At a brisk 35 minutes Entrtnmnt hits all of its marks with grace and formidable energy. And when the guitar fires up it should make for a blistering live show.
If you like: Sonic Youth, Spoon
