Columbia, South Carolina isn’t known for its instrumental prog-rock, but the three boys in Bolt are hell bent on changing that with the release of their sophomore full-length, Movement and Detail. From the ominous opening notes of “Devil’s paintbrush,” to the driving, almost pop-punk number, ‘Kick” to close the album, Bolt reveals a diverse musical palette and freshness despite the fact there are no vocals. They even have a drunken answering machine message on the disc displaying the band’s humorous side.
With eerie atmospherics, hints of jazz, and even some metal riffage at times, the band has fine tuned and consolidated their sound from the more repetitive, video-gamey and less mature sounding tracks of their debut album, 2003’s Circadian Rhythm. “A lot more can happen in a longer song, but it’s harder to hold peoples attention,” says drummer Bill Elliott, when referring to the slimmer compositions of the new record. Movement and Detail is still guilty of letting its tracks bleed into one another at times and allows for subtle distraction, but with shorter tracks, technical precision and an upbeat energy Bolt are quickly carving their own niche.
