Masters from Their Day is an online series that documents a recording of a song between a band and a producer. The recently-released fifth installment reunites Staten Island-quartet Cymbals Eat Guitars with legendary producer John Agnello for a new track called “Hawk Highway.” Both parties had previously worked together which resulted in the release Cymbals Eat Guitars’ stellar sophomore album, Lenses Alien last year.
While the majority of their material last year consisted of jagged and blistering shoegaze/noise rock, there were a few softer moments such as “Plainclothes,” “Another Tunguska,” and “Wavelengths.” “Hawk Highway” falls on the softer side with a touch of ambience. What made Lense Alien great was the minor details that may have been overlooked on an initial listen, but when you catch them on repeated listens, it adds a newfound dynamic to each song. On here, it’s the wavering synths that encompass the entire track. You may not hear it clearly (other than the first few seconds of the song) because it lays behind the thick bass riffs and Joseph D’Agostino’s distinct croons, but adds a lot more density to the song. The Pavement influence makes itself clear once again with guitars that builds, albeit briefly, to a climax.
The release of “Hawk Highway” hasn’t officially indicated to a new Cymbals Eat Guitars release, but one could certainly speculate. With the progression that the band has made between their two albums, expectations are high for their third release. But until their future plans are made apparent, we’ll be more than happy to enjoy what they have out now.
