Brooklyn, New York, band Rex is well versed in the idea that what you choose to leave out is just as important as what you leave in. With their third full length release in three years, the trio’s spare, elegiac music is bolstered by cello, viola and violin, giving almost every track an orchestral quality while still maintaining the economical feel. But ultimately, what Rex has chosen to leave out proves to be the shortcoming of this disc.
The easiest reference point for Rex’s music would be somewhere between the dirge-like Codeine and the more experimental June Of 44 (Rex drummer Doug Scharin played in both ). But what separates Rex from their indie-rock brethren is their focus on instrumental music: Four of the nine songs on 3 are instrumentals, owing more to English folk-rock artists such as Fairport Convention and Pentangle. But none of the compositions here have the same voice that great instrumental music does. “Yah Land” makes full use of the strings to build up to a furious crescendo, and the Eastern-flavored “One Stew” is the most ambitious and fully realized instrumental here, but they all seem to fall a bit short.
The songs that guitarist-vocalist Curtis Harvey did put words to seem to be more of an afterthought, with the words serving as just another instrument. The lyrics are nearly impossible to interpret even for the most astute listener, as Harvey’s aching vocals are buried so far back in the mix that some of the choruses are rendered altogether indecipherable. The lyrics come to the forefront only on the final track, “Clean”; while this may be the most traditional-sounding song on the disc, it turns out to be the most memorable.
The members of Rex have proven themselves to be capable musicians and creative arrangers. If they can combine these skills with more quality songwriting, they could be on to something.
