Gently, Down the Stream

Come's music has always been a bit difficult to come to terms with, but it rewards repeated listens immensely. Nowhere is that more true than on their fourth album, Gently, Down the Stream. Although it's a lengthy, dark album, it's arguably their most accessible, since the rage that flowed throughout Don't Ask Don't Tell and Near Life Experience has turned into a resigned bitterness, and that means there aren't as many all-out sonic assaults. Instead, the guitars intertwine perfectly, creating cathartic, sometimes atonal, sometimes bluesy sheets of sound. Similarly, the individual songs of Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw are woven together seamlessly throughout the album, making this Come's most band-oriented effort to date. It's not as immediately bracing as Don't Ask Don't Tell, but it's worth the extra effort to deal with Come's ambitious, difficult music.