I must convey my profoundest  apologies to The Extraordinary  Contraptions for the lateness of this review.    To be honest, this has been a very difficult review to write.  Not due to any deficiency of the music, mind you, far from it.  Indeed, the exact opposite is the case.  My difficulties in reviewing this superb CD stemmed from the fact that I could not find a way to adequately explain exactly what the music evoked in me.  For some time, I listened to the CD with a stirring of nostalgia.  But I could not identify exactly what this nostalgic feeling was for, since the music herein is decidedly unlike anything musically in my past.   Finally, after much introspection, it dawned on me that this was how music on ‘70s radio should have sounded.  (Don’t get me wrong: there was talent, but in the end it had nowhere to go except into the maw of the  music industry, which imposed mediocrity in the name of accessibility.  Then Punk showed it was possible to circumvent the assembly lines.)   Instead of the sappy, (but earnest) guitar singers, the swirling,  muddled “art” albums,  and boring gut-bucket boogie, this is what ‘70’s music should have sounded like.   With  Aelus Kristof von Stadberg on guitar,  Dimitri von Stadberg on bass, Corbin Able Welch’s percussion, and the lovely Sephora Bostwick on keyboards,  the Extraordinary Contraptions have produced a fine CD.  I’ll add that  “Inappropriate on Purpose”  is appropriately produced by Gilded Age records, a music consortium founded by Joshua Pfeiffer and Evelyn Kriete where the DIY spirit is alive and well.

“Breathe” is a thrilling combination of rollicking guitar and fine vocal harmonies which are just discordant enough to be interesting. There is a great bit of falsetto here somewhere too.   If you want to chill out, listen to Simon and Garfunkel.  If you want to groove, play this.  Strong keyboards give a wonderful counterbalance to the whole piece.

‘Kiss from a Girl” begins with an excellent sort of chopping retro-guitar.  The song has some hard guitar riffs which are just awesome, giving a hint of early Jethro Tull.   Mesmerizing Keyboards weave wonderfully through the spaces between, over, and underneath,  like a serpent winding through the branches.  The bass holds steady throughout the song.  The lead vocals careen between the extremes of short, punkish bursts, and  old R & B.  “Just tell me Baby, how to win a kiss!”

“Light Feet Do First Impressions Make” has a very ‘full’ sound that surrounds the listener.   The guitar pounds along like a freight train on a decline, with keyboards and percussion stoking the fires.   The whole thing desperately spirals  towards a dramatic vocal and instrumental cacophony, only to brake and then pick up steam again.  Right when you think it’s finished, the song roars into life again.  I love the guitar.

“The Lights” begins very poignantly, with light keyboards and percussion. Dimitri’s bass has a cool funky groove, then Aelus adds faintly grungy guitar in a combination that works admirably well. But wait, this song features the captivating Sephora on vocals. She is soulful, yet sultry, and tinged with melancholy.  Her keyboards keep a steady, moody pace, while the supporting vocals soar soulfully in a gripping counterpoint.  Aelus has a nice, rock-style solo, and Dimitri’s bass emerges from where it has been hovering just under the surface.   The song rises to a climax of swirling, wrenching vocals.  The Extraordinary Contraptions show that a little bit of Motown goes a long way!

“Fine” hits the listener very viscerally. The vocals are deceptively smooth, and the guitar riffs are addictive and edgy.  Keyboard and backing vocals add delicious layers and then the song rises to an anthem-like chorus. Corbin’s jazzy percussion adds emphasis at just the right times. Then Sephora adds a harmony that strikes the listener like a silver bullet.   The song races, with each element in superb interplay, to a sudden finale (of seem, worthy of  the Emperor of Ice Cream).

“This Kind of Love” has a catchy Metal-style opening, rolling into tight vocals and  harmonies  that bring early Queen to mind. High keyboards add a harpsichord-ish air, with Corbin’s percussion riding herd.   Dimitri’s  bassline leads a sudden heavy charge, with everyone churning furiously, before descending to a harmonic close.

I simply love the opening keyboards on “Policy of Honesty”, which have an almost Latin flavor.  Aelus’s vocals are a bit harsher than usual, a perfect math for the absolutely blistering guitar.   A metallic guitar solo puts on the heat.  The last segment of the song is a rousing sonic blast,   with backing vocals that don’t just soar, but skyrocket  magnificently into a Gotterdammerung chorus.  Great song. Play it loud!

Rapid fire guitar riffs herald the beginning of “Ms. Intangible”, setting the pace for very energetic staccato vocals, which alternate with a speaker-type vocal embellishment,   and well integrated background harmonies.  Aelus wields a mean guitar that sounds positively punk and then suddenly grunge, while Dimitri’ s bass is subtle power behind the throne.  Likewise, Corbin’s percussion is very strong, charging into the finish as the song ends on a riveting keyboard flourish and then a few random guitar notes that fire like the final shots of an ambush.

“Burn” continues with a fast paced Deathrock guitar riff and a bit of echoing diabolic laughter.  This song again highlights the dynamic vocal arrangements of the Extraordinary Contraption.   Everything is face paced, with the guitar suddenly sounding very ‘90’s-ish.  The pace slows with a bit of solo guitar, and then shifts back into gear.  There is a very edgy bit of keyboard in the middle somewhere, along with a bassline that reaches out and grabs he listener unexpectedly.  Vocals reach a crescendo and then suddenly the song stops.

“Smote” has another wonderful Latin-esque tone, down to the percussion.  There is a interlude of spaghetti western guitar, and then silence, like the seconds before a gunfight.  The song suddenly resurrects with keyboards and the tone drops to a deadly growl, held by melodic and militaristic percussion, before the song surges into a  strong Latin-esque keyboard sequence, and finally  a thrilling grungy guitar burst reminiscent of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. The ending is as fast and dramatic as the OK Corral.

The CD aptly closes with “Never Halfway Only”.  Heralded by a touch of percussion, this is a very moving number with Sephora’s vocals flowing smooth as Sade, smoky and magnificent.  The percussion is very integral to this song, yet is masterfully understated.  Both guitar and bass manage some very evocative chord changes, and the backing vocals add to the sense of utter poignancy of the song.   Keyboards are a firm foundation of the song, slow and dirge like, as the bass shadows them like a memory, before emerging into its own right.   Sephora’s vocals also bring to mind both Joni Mitchell, particularly on the like “I hear things are changing now…” and invoke the sad expressiveness of Roberta Flack.   “I will be there for you ‘til my dying day….”    The song ends with a striking acoustic flourish. Simply a phenomenal song.

I could say much, much more about “Inappropriate on Purpose”, but would still not give the reader an adequate appreciation of the CD.   For me, some of the most extraordinary qualities of The Extraordinary Contraptions are the brilliance of the arrangements, both vocal and instrumental.  The discordance which I have already mentioned works admirably to heighten the effects upon the listener.  The band are all very, very talented and compliment each other exquisitely, performing both fast and slow numbers with equal ease.   They combine many diverse elements into a unique sound, and the diversity insures that the CD is never monotonous.  This is the hallmark of bands that play in the Steampunk scene, not all clanking and horns.  They combine elements that may seem disconcerting to a casual ear conditioned to the superfluous, momentary catchiness of the mainstream into something far more creative with infinitely more staying power.   Oh, and The Extraordinary Contraptions have excellent fashion sense, too.

For the discerning listener of all sorts of music, “Inappropriate on Purpose” is simply a must-have.   If you can catch The Extraordinary Contraptions in concert, by all means, do so!  Not only are they talented, they are also very nice people.

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