The Visitations - The Conundrum Tree

The Conundrum Tree - Serves at once as a reassurance that the DIY freak folk scene is alive and kicking and as a testament to the idea that albums can be weird-or even disturbing at times-without sacrificing the musicality and substance that increasingly engage the listener. Davey Wrathgaber, the off-kilter poet, songwriter and humorist who calls himself The Visitations, approaches each new album with a theme in mind. What prevents any of the records from becoming too self-aware (as many "concept" albums become) is Wrathgaber's careful disregard for strict narrative guidelines in favor of focusing on writing well-constructed pop songs that challenge the listener to listen. On The Conundrum Tree, Wrathgaber (who formerly performed in Fablefactory, Elf Power) contributes thoughtful passages to the black comedy that is love, hate and the nothing between. The album, which features Athens notables Derek Almstead, Jason NeSmith and Matt Hudgins, seamlessly combines literate, often farcical, always clever lyrics a la Smog, Magnetic Fields and Will Oldham with the tasty, psychedelic hooks that helped cement The Visitations' home town of Athens, Ga. as the 'Pop Metropolis of the South.' Some of the vocal melodies are pushed forth with a desperate sense of urgency not unlike those of The Mountain Goats.
The Conundrum Tree marks The Visitations' first release on Orange Twin Records. Wrathgaber has done production work for The Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel and contributed to records by Mendoza Line and Of Montreal. While The Visitations' credentials seem to slot the act neatly within the kaleidoscopic Utopia that is Athens psych pop scene, Wrathgaber's lyrical cynicism and penchant for political argie bargie hint at a greater insolence than that of many of its twee pop contemporaries. The Visitations' 2005 political humor release Propaganda, which lampoons the American election news cycle, sparked criticism from neo-cons and the Georgia Democratic Party alike. The band's ensuing visit to its Congressman's office in Washington D.C. to discuss the flag burning amendment caused a stir with local media and reportedly led to some Athens City Council members naming The Visitations in an off-the-record discussion about musical acts that should be banned from outdoor performances. It is also rumored that Wrathgaber's rabble-rousing left him with a broken nose after a late-night political "debate" with a pack of Savannah, Ga. skinheads. An English teacher at a technical college by day, Wrathgaber is the exception that proves the rule that "those who cannot do, teach."

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