A noodling guitar pattern accompanied buy tapping drums yields to a sorrowful sounding horn section. From this point the progressions fade into and out of each other gently guiding the listener on an instrumental journey that never goes far off into the distance forcing you to start thinking “what the fuck?” That’s a good thing, because you definitely run into that quite a bit when you give a listen to a lot of today’s experimental/post-rock albums.

What I’ve described is glipse into a sitting with Casually Smashed To Pieces, the 2007 Suicide Squeeze release by Ohio‘s Six Parts Seven. The band performed this week in Madison for an early set at the High Noon Saloon before backing up Richard Buckner for his headlining set. That scenario is not all to foreign to the group who, in 2003, released Lost Notes From Forgotten Songs that produced some heartbreakingly gorgeous collaborations with artists like Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse, and Pedro The Lion.

In my opinion Casually Smashed To Pieces not only places Six Parts Seven at the top of their genre, but this release ranks as one of the finest albums I’ve spent time with this year.

You can count on me being in attendance as the band plays the Suicide Squeeze Showcase at Maggie Mae’s on Friday, March 16th as part of SXSW.

Update:  Listen to Six Parts Seven perform “Conversation Heart,” “September,” and “Knock At My Door” on Minnesota Public Radio.

Buy: Insound
Myspace: Six Parts Seven
MP3: Six Parts Seven – On Marriage
MP3: Six Parts Seven – Stolen Moments