If one is to defer to stereotypes, a band hailing from Los Angeles should be creating music that reflects hard living: hard liquor, hard drugs and hard bodies (Note: I?m unsure of that last item; I must investigate further). (VxPxC) ? both as a music-creating entity and as a collection of individuals ? is proof that stereotypes are for suckers. The city in which Grant E. Capes, Tim Goodwillie, and Justin McInteer reside is a creation of their own. It?s a carefully constructed patchwork of people, places and things that simply happen to be geographically located in the same place as the City of Angels. Listening to the intensely atmospheric sounds they create, I imagine that the world of (VxPxC) exists outside of the trappings typically associated with LA. These guys live well, not hard.

?Drapery Dept.? is probably the group?s one hundredth release, give or take a couple of dozen. It?s also the second release from the promising new House of Alchemy imprint, which hails from Buffalo, NY. The disc is sheathed in a stunning hand-sewn and stamped burlap sleeve, a real treat for the packaging-obsessed (House of Alchemy is becoming well-known for their creative hand-made packages). The line-up for this recording was expanded to feature six members, including Tim Goodwillie?s young daughter Cat on SuperGirl vocals and good vibes.

Since the entirety of the source material for ?Drapery Dept.? was recorded in a deserted movie lot office into a single microphone, the resulting songs are drenched in a natural reverb that lends the performance an incredible depth. (VxPxC) play the room as if it were an instrument to be manipulated ? the reverberations are essential to the recording. On ?Wailing Drones,? sleigh bells flutes and vocal moans set up what becomes a gorgeous opalescent drone, the perfect accompaniment for aimless nocturnal wandering. ?Ballad of the Empty Room? channels Slowdive, but leaves enough room for a glockenspiel melody to infect the song with a saccharine charm. ?No Bop Bop Bop? provides relief from the drone (just to change things up a bit ? we still love the drone), featuring some Eastern-inflected high-register string plucking, minimal percussion and howling courtesy of Cat.

?In the Walls Tonight? sounds like it might be the work of three guitarists: one acoustic guitar providing percussive accents, and two electric guitars improvising around a simple three-note melody. Spectral, wordless vocals and a spidery guitar melody augmented by that natural reverb help ?Phantom Dressing Room? evoke a sinister mood. Spectres dance around the hollow room to the sombre arrangements provided by (VxPxC). Lifting our spirits is the sprightly ?Slow Breath for a New Morning,? which is constructed of intertwined guitar and piano melodies.

The music of (VxPxC) is emotionally charged, but in such a way as to evoke a variety of moods. It?s menacing yet comforting and solemn yet blissful. These gentlemen thoughtfully utilize a seemingly endless array of instrumentation to create songs that run the gamut of the human psyche. It?s definitely an experience not to be missed. 9/10 -- Bryon Hayes (23 January, 2007)