Macha
See It Another Way (Jetset)
In 1998, New York indie Jetset released the eponymous debut by the Athens, Georgia, outfit Macha. The hourish release documented a band versed in instrumental rock, but one influenced much more by the East than any eclectic export from their college-cum-music hometown. See It Another Way picks up right where their debut left off, but with a few exceptions. Their first was a well-recorded DIY-inspired outing, with some tracks recorded on a mini-cassette. See It Another Way is more refined, with an unobtrusive studio sheen. Still, the band’s signature sound is intact, largely fueled by their fascination with Indonesia, manifested with their use of the archipelago’s instruments. The dreamy anthem title track, for example, mixes a syncopated drum kit and fuzz bass with a host of nipple gongs, hammered dulcimers, and flutes. Likewise, the sonically rich-yet-not-syrupy closer “Between Stranded Sonars” begins like Hugo Largo’s Drum and evolves into a crescendo, slide guitar-driven hypnosis, echoed by violin runs and gongs. Yet, perhaps because they spent more time in the studio, the band spent less time composing: See It Another Way is half as long as their first. Sophomore slump? No, but since there’s no great stylistic difference between their two albums, Macha could have used tunes from both to compose one hell of an album. (Emo’s, Wednesday, Mar 15, 1am)
This article appears in March 10 • 2000.