Ears Wide Open: Crooks on Tape

Kevin Bronson on January 17th, 2014

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[Part 2 of 2]

John Schmersal played in two beloved indie bands, Brainiac in the 1990s and Enon, which he co-founded in ’99 and helmed through 2011. Now based in L.A., he’s been busy. Besides diving into a raw guitar project as Vertical Scratchers [see Part 1], Schmersal has teamed up with former Enon bandmate Rick Lee and Joey Galvan as Crooks on Tape. The trio’s album of “Fingerprint” came out in late October on Misra Records, and it’s as much psychotic-pop as psych-pop, full of fun-house instrumentation and a playful experimental spirit. Though it feels immediate, “Fingerprint’s” varied parts were actually recorded over more than two years of studio improvisation and then pieced together with Schmersal’s wacky vocals. If you were familiar with Enon’s avant-garde leaning, the album’s collage aesthetic will sound familiar to you; if not, set aside your predilection for the predictable and enjoy the ride.

||| Stream: “If Feelings Mean a Thing” and “Duper”