Collaborations spotlight the abilities of all parties involved when they’re done right, and while the verse-heavy new album Christmas with Bigfoot initially seems to focus more on the poetic stylings of Marty Achatz, it’s undeniably a strong showing for Streaking in Tongues as well. Experimentalists Streaking in Tongues have been on every credible critics’ radar for years now, but in this simplistic effort beside Achatz, avant-gardism is traded in for a raw strain of storytelling that is perhaps as glowing as the musical endeavors this duo has become known for in recent times. Christmas with Bigfoot isn’t your traditional holiday record, but it’s one you really need to hear this season.
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“Bigfoot Noel” and “The Hand of God” are unabashedly unfiltered despite their seemingly elegant presentation, and they offer us a glimpse into the aesthetical values of these artists better than any of the other tracks here do. While “Bigfoot and Little Women,” “Live Long and Prosper” and “The Christmas Eve Wrinkle” collectively run the length of a standard LP, “Bigfoot Noel” and “The Hand of God” last a mere three and a half minutes together, encapsulating the straightforwardness of the songcraft here in a manner that nothing else could have.
The normal theatrics a lot of people associate with progressive works like Christmas with Bigfoot are mostly missing from this tracklist, and I found their only presence – such as in “Christmas Grammar 2020” – is to facilitate a segue from one large act (“Live Long and Prosper”) to another (“The Christmas Eve Wrinkle”). Streaking in Tongues aren’t exactly known for excess, but instead, eclectic thinking that usually winds up taking both artists and audience in a direction no one could have expected, and relative to what their indie peers are doing right now, this is far and away as cut and dry a concept record as they could have made.
“Bigfoot and Little Women,” which weighs in at over 23 minutes total, is the centerpiece of this album, and its understated exploration of mortality had a big impact on me when I sat down with Christmas with Bigfoot for the very first time. There’s a gothic tone to this piece that brings to mind the haunting “Everyone Who Ever Cared” from the 2018 masterpiece Kindergarten Prayers, but it’s slightly obstructed by the polished spoken word Marty Achatz is bringing to the table. The contrast only makes the verses stronger, and arguably seals the moodiness of this record right from the get-go.
I think Christmas with Bigfoot should be regarded as required listening for anyone who loves intensely experimental works this winter, and while some might get the idea that this album is a more conventional holiday recording, those in the know in the American underground already know that Streaking in Tongues aren’t capable of producing anything less than elite. This is another fantastic addition to their discography, and despite its exceedingly sophisticated stylization, I think there’s a good chance that new listeners and longtime fans of this pair will dig the finished product the same.
Chadwick Easton