Another week is almost done. I hope you’re excited for the weekend. To help get you there, here’s another snazzy edition of Pick Your Poison. Great stuff today includes tracks from AIDS Wolf, Banjo or Freakout, Oh Land and So So Glos. Check them out, it’s all delightful.
AIDS Wolf – Teaching To Suffer
Banjo or Freakout – Over There
Christopher Paul Stelling – Strange Darkness
Mariage Blanc – Whatever You Say I Am
Saharan Gazelle Boy – Halfhair Girl
The prospect of going solo after spending all your life in a band is a daunting one. As part of a group, you’ve got bandmates to lean on that will support you through every song and album and show. As we’ve seen time and time again though, there are plenty of personalities in a band and they don’t always lead to positive results. Bands break up because of clashes between members, and some of them are so difficult to work with they prefer the solo life. There’s also the solo side project, where a singer or guitarist (and on a rare occasion a drummer) breaks away from his or her bandmates for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s to explore a new sound the other band members aren’t comfortable with. Other times it makes the difference when some of the band wants time off for family or other issues and one person wants to keep going. But however they come about, solo projects are a normal part of everyday music, and they often reach varying degrees of success depending on if you’re Peter Gabriel or Franz Nicolay. Among higher profile bands recently, Radiohead’s Phil Selway just recently released his first solo effort, and Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker will put out a solo album in a couple weeks. This week though, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers takes the plunge, and he does so by returning to some old territory the rest of his bandmates left behind.
After the very new wave/synth-heavy pop vibe of The Killers’ debut album “Hot Fuss”, the band chose to channel their inner Bruce Springsteens and go all dustbowl Americana for their second record “Sam’s Town”. That was not the move fans expected nor wanted, and while sales of that sophmore effort remained strong, most made it known they were dissatisfied with the shift in direction. That explains the course correction and a moderate “return to form” on the band’s third album “Day & Age”. With the decision to go on a temporary hiatus for 2010, frontman Brandon Flowers apparently decided he was bored and wanted to make some music his bandmates might otherwise not agree to. In other words, he was desperate to return to “Sam’s Town”. Not only does Flowers’ solo debut “Flamingo” have a similar sonic feel to it, but both album titles are taken from famous Las Vegas casinos/hotels. Call them two sides of the same coin if you will, the only real difference between then and now are the players involved.
Given how mixed reaction was to “Sam’s Town”, you could probably expect fans of The Killers to have a pretty divided stance on “Flamingo” as well. The very first thing you should know about this solo album is that it’s an extremely adult affair. The Killers make music that’s got a bit of fun to it, lots of flash and showmanship just like the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip. “Flamingo” moves more from the perspective of a man who’s lived his entire life amid all that crazy grandeur and is now extremely jaded and tired of it. There’s a myriad of gambling references, starting of course with opening track “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” and only expanding from there (especially see: “Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts”). Additionally, there’s a number of spiritual elements as well referencing back to his upbringing in the Mormon faith, among other things. Above all else though, the tone of the album, from the soaring and anthemic choruses even through the minor ones, is extremely serious. There’s not a single moment where Flowers lightens up or gives a proverbial wink and a smile to the listener that indicates he’s enjoying himself. As a result, there’s nothing even close to a “Somebody Told Me” on “Flamingo”. There’s not even a “When You Were Young” here. The closest this record has to a hit is with the first single “Crossfire”, which actually will stick in your head if you listen to it enough times. The two tracks leading up to that song are actually not bad either, with “Was It Something I Said?” breaking out some oddball bouncy synth energy amidst the relative lethargy of what preceeded it and “Magdalena” throwing in some Spanish love story flavor for variety. Most everything else is surprisingly forgettable and bland, seeming content to just ride along the middle of the road without much thought to experimentation or even really catchy hooks. Not even the wonderful Jenny Lewis contributing guest vocals to a track like “Hard Enough” can move it above merely average. Sonically speaking, the songs mostly stick with a traditional band arrangement, which means guitars and drums, though as with “Sam’s Town” there’s synths that pop up on occasion.
When The Killers were first starting out and reached massive popularity in a matter of months, Brandon Flowers often exhibited strange behavior on stage, like he was barely able to keep things together out of pure nervousness. The guy barely spoke to the crowd and when he did the banter was awkward because he was so uncomfortable. In the last 6 years, he has grown significantly more acclimated with performing and is better than before. He still doesn’t quite have the charisma he should being in a band of The Killers’ caliber, but taking it one day at a time he might just rise to the occasion. Now touring solo (with a backing band of completely unremarkable musicians), Flowers holds the entire burden of each show entirely on his shoulders. Without legitimate bandmates to lean on in those awkward moments, some fans might be disappointed with the performance. Assuming he sticks to solely performing the songs on “Flamingo” as well, that could be a problem too. Why Flowers continues to believe he can pull a Springsteen and do an Americana-by-way-of-Las-Vegas thing is a mystery because it more or less failed the first time in the form of “Sam’s Town”. Of course if you liked that record there’s a decent chance you’ll like “Flamingo”. The minor success of a single like “Crossfire” seems to indicate there are some people out there still interested in hearing what Flowers can do on his own. If it sells well enough, Flowers will probably make more solo albums in between Killers records. Send him a message by either not buying “Flamingo” or perhaps just cherry picking a couple songs that strike your interest. Much like forest fires, only you can prevent another Brandon Flowers solo record. The Killers themselves may not have released anything truly worthwhile since “Hot Fuss”, but it’s become clear is that no matter what they’re doing together, chances are it’s better than what they’ll do apart.
Holy wow there’s a lot of great stuff in today’s Pick Your Poison. A full mixtape from Das Racist, which features contributions from Chairlift, El-P and The Very Best, among others. Then there’s the free EP that John Vanderslice released today, available in all its 320kbps mp3 glory below. There’s also The Radio Dept.’s scathing indictment of the Swedish government in a brand new song. Frankie Rose and the Outs have released a new mp3 as well. And Chicago’s own Urge Overkill haven’t put out any new music in the last 15 years, but today I’m proud to offer you something brand new from them. Great stuff.
ANR – The Endless Field of Mercury (Single Edit)
Das Racist – Sit Down Man Mixtape (feat. Chairlift, El-P and The Very Best
First Love, Last Rites – Slow Wind
Frankie Rose and the Outs – Candy
Hot Panda – Mindlessnesslessness
John Vanderslice – Green Grow The Rushes EP (ZIP)
Led to Sea – Is This The Last Time
The Radio Dept. – The New Improved Hypocrisy
I had jury duty today. It was a drag (sitting around for hours doing nothing until dismissed), but on the plus side I did get to spend the time listening to some great new music. Some of it is in today’s edition of Pick Your Poison. Be sure to download new tracks from J. Tillman (of Fleet Foxes), Secret Cities, Murdocks and Shadow Shadow Shade, but really most of these songs are great.
Betsy Franck and the Bareknuckle Band – City of Gold
David Vertesi – All Night All Night All Night
Gianna Lauren – Become What You Can’t Be
James and Evander – Turtle Two
Leonard Mynx – Song With No Name
Murdocks – Black Jesus Knocking
Seymour Bits – Style
Seymour Bits – This Is The Place To Be (TWR72 Remix)
Like riding in first class on an airplane or receiving VIP treatment at a fancy hotel or music festival, there are some life experiences that stick with you for awhile. Should you attempt to repeat the grand experience and fail though, it comes off as disappointing. Suddenly riding in coach seems too pedestrian now that you’ve been to first class. And things just aren’t as interesting when you can’t hang out back stage at a show or have fresh cut flowers delivered to your hotel room free of charge every morning. We get spoiled easily, and that ruins many of our future experiences. The first time I saw …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead I was front and center against the stage as they destroyed everything on stage and invited the crowd to join them. Security had to pull me back as a microphone stand nearly bashed my head in. With adrenaline running high, I loved every life threatening second of that show, and every time I’ve gone to see the band since has been a disappointment. It is based around this reasoning I’ve made the executive decision to never see The Walkmen perform live again. Last month, I saw them twice in a span of 12 hours, the second of those times being at the ear-splitting front and center position. Watching singer Hamilton Leithauser belt out songs new and old to the rafters as the veins bulged out of his neck was simply thrilling and I’m pretty well convinced it’ll never be that good again. Good thing at that show the band played a bunch of tracks off their new record “Lisbon”, as it’s set to become the best thing they’ve released since 2004’s “Bows + Arrows”.
The Walkmen deal in misery, and hearing an upbeat or lighter record from the band would almost come off as disingenuous. Naturally then for “Lisbon” they stay within that range, though things do pick up a bit more than their last album “You & Me”. That’s not quite evident from the start, as “Juveniles” comes in at a slow crawl and deals in warmth and subtle emotional nuance. Of course The Walkmen are practically known for burying the lead in song, typically striking harder and faster with the second track in. Such is the case for “Angela Surf City”, the clearest highlight on the album and one of The Walkmen’s best tracks ever. You’ve got a subtle surf rock guitar, massive drums, and a chorus that builds upon itself as Leithauser brings it home with his whiskey-soaked wail. It’s a rare moment of sheer explosiveness from a band that typically holds back and stays in check. Almost as if they think they went too far, the following two songs return to the very subdued and calm nature they’re known for. “Stranded” provides a little bit of a lift with a grand horn section reminiscent of the band’s 2006 album “A Hundred Miles Off”. It maintains a mopey vibe but the brass really provides the added punch to lift the song to an above average status. What really sends the album soaring is “Victory”, another anthemic cut that feels as triumphant as the title suggests. The problem is, like so many Walkmen songs, the lyrics aren’t so much about winning as they are just barely losing. Still, don’t be surprised if you hear the song used in some sports-related win context within the next year, as somebody will have misunderstood what it’s about. Depressing as the title suggests, “Woe Is Me” is only a lyrical pity party, because a bit of surf rock guitar and a good tempo lift it to a toe tapping level of fun. “Torch Song” is another title that accurately describes the contents contained within, with the rich piano and bass bringing out the warmth of a few thousand lighters held high in the air, swaying back and forth. To be perfectly clear though, the track isn’t actually about longing for a lost love as most technical torch songs are, but rather the longing for a lost song, the right song to provide balance and meaning to a world of insanity. And as they tend to be something of a seasonal band, “While I Shovel the Snow” should be on your winter mixtape, the slow waltz rhythm matching well with the clean up of all those flakes that have landed on your driveway and sidewalk.
While they were recording “Lisbon”, The Walkmen made two trips to Portugal for primarily pleasure purposes. They fell in love with the country and its people, and a number of the songs were inspired by their experiences in the country. That’s also the main reason why the album is titled as such, a manner of thanking a city where they experienced so much magic. Interestingly enough, the songs themselves don’t seem to echo a lot of Portuguese musical influence, though you’d be hard-pressed to officially explain what a Portuguese musical influence actually sounds like. Really though, The Walkmen continue to sound like The Walkmen, as very few other bands are doing much similar to them these days. And though by now, a handful of records into their now 10-year careers, you might think it’s starting to get old, the quality these guys have been able to turn out time and time again remains inexplicably high. For peddling in misery and self-loathing, somehow Hamilton Leithauser still has more to say on the subject and his world-weary voice continues to provide the necessary emotion to convey it properly. Matt Barrick’s drum work remains as strong, if not stronger than ever no matter if he’s tapping on a snare or hammering down on some bass drums. Really everyone does stellar work on “Lisbon”, and in the wake of the also-great “You & Me” from a mere two years ago, The Walkmen are on something of a roll. They’re great live too, as I can readily attest, and some of these new songs are particularly exciting to experience with a large crowd on hand. So go see a show, go buy the record, and rest assured that while these songs will take you to a dark place, it’s okay to crack a smile when you come out the other side.
Another start to another week. I hope you’ve got something to look forward to that’ll make the time go by faster. If not, maybe some mp3s will soothe those early week blues. Recommended songs today include cuts from Erland & the Carnival, Houses, Sharon Van Etten and Wira. There’s also an old school Fela Kuti mp3 that could be considered a great introduction to such an important artist of the 60s and 70s. For those of you looking for a mixtape, there’s a good one from Korallreven that features such luminaries as Taken By Trees, jj, Memoryhouse and Salem, among others.
Bridges and Powerlines – Mirabell
Erland & the Carnival – Trouble In Mind
Korallreven – A Dream By Korallreven For Korallreven In Collaboration With Korallreven For Korallreven (Mixtape feat. Taken By Trees, jj, Memoryhouse, Salem)
Satellite Stories – Kids Aren’t Safe In The Metro
Satellite Stories – Mexico
This week’s edition of Live Friday is proud to feature a session from Akron, Ohio’s own Black Keys. The band released their sixth and newest album “Brothers” back in May to what’s ultimately continued critical acclaim. Sure, it may not be the greatest Black Keys record, but it does feel like a return to their bluesy form after the much more psychedelic turn they took on 2008’s “Attack and Release”. The album was recorded at a few studios around the country, including the legendary Muscle Shoals in Alabama and The Bunker in Brooklyn. The band talks a little bit about that during the interview portion of the session, which is available to stream via the link below. But one of the more recent developments in The Black Keys’ camp is that singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach had built his own studio in their hometown of Akron. Ostensibly the band no longer needs to use any other studio when making albums, and they have the convenience of being able to use it 24/7 free of charge. Of course that doesn’t mean they’re going to always use the new studio, and they can also have a little fun with it by inviting people over to hang out while they play some songs. That’s what much of this session is. Recorded the week that “Brothers” was released to stores, the band plays four songs from the album at the unofficially titled “Auerbach Studios”. The Black Keys are known to be a vibrant and exciting live act, and touring around this record they’ve gone from a duo to a foursome just to help flesh out the song arrangements a little bit more. It shows in this session, which is nothing short of excellent. Download the songs, stream the interview, and have a great weekend.
The Black Keys, Live at Dan Auerbach’s studio, 5-20-10:
The Black Keys – Too Afraid To Love (Live at Auerbach Studios)
The Black Keys – Tighten Up (Live at Auerbach Studios)
The Black Keys – Everlasting Light (Live at Auerbach Studios)
The Black Keys – Howlin’ For You (Live at Auerbach Studios)
Congratulations on making it to the end of this shortened holiday week. As a reward for all your hard work, Friday’s edition of Pick Your Poison is extra delightful. A Memory Tapes remix of a Clare Maguire song should catch your ear pretty nicely. If you’re into polarizing experimental pop music, a track from CocoRosie may or may not be good for what ails you. Also coming highly recommended by me are tracks from Megafaun and Monotonix. Have a great weekend!
Acid Washed – Acid Washed (Danger Remix)
Clare Maguire – Ain’t Nobody (Memory Tapes Remix)
Grant Cutler & the Gorgeous Lords – Our Love Is A Mighty Fortress
In Grenada – Distance and Temptation
The Thermals aren’t really about making any “small statements” with their music. Their records, at least the last few, have all featured overarching themes that took on topics like government, religion, and how we deal with tragedy. Not that one topic is better than the other or that these concepts are wearing progressively thinner, but it does seem the band’s high energy punk rock songs aren’t as effective (or energetic) as they used to be. Last year’s “Now We Can See” was great evidence that the band was having just a little bit of a hard time as they stumbled into a newfound maturity and pushed their hard-driving punk into something with a significantly smoother pop edge. For their new album “Personal Life”, The Thermals maintain much of the maturity they gained last time around but move away from that pop polish and rough up the edges a bit. The theme this time is relationships and all the good, bad and ugly that comes along with them. You could say that’s also how this collection of songs shakes out.
Okay, so there’s nothing particularly ugly or even bad about “Personal Life”, but there’s definitely moments that shine compared to others. Opening track “I’m Gonna Change Your Life” introduces us to the new reality of The Thermals, something a bit slower and almost testy, and if the song title is a mission statement it falls pretty flat. Things pick up almost instantly after that with first single “I Don’t Believe You”, which is easily one of the most fun and catchy songs the band has ever made. “Not Like Any Other Feeling” has some fascinating guitar work that may come off as a little fragile and tepid but that careful composure is also what makes it one of the most winning tracks on the album. A good second single would be “Your Love Is So Strong”, as its backing “oh”‘s really encourage a sing-along. Almost equally delighful is “Only For You”, which could benefit from a slight tempo increase but still pulls its weight with a compelling melody and emotional resonance. But in between all these triumphs and semi-triumphs are tracks that fail to strike with the necessary force to remain memorable. It’s about a half-and-half game of good and bad almost directly correlating in an alternating fashion track by track. It may be fine lyrically (most of the record is, as usual), but “Never Listen to Me” doesn’t do much instrumentally, with Kathy Foster’s bass line hitting the same notes over and over again and Harris’ electric guitar holding down a somewhat dragging tempo that’s close to but not quite danceable. “Alone, A Fool” is almost worth not mentioning, that’s how forgettable this acoustic ballad is. It drops in almost like a deadweight trying to pull the songs that surround it down with it. And though it fares a little better, “A Reflection” feels like just that, thinking out loud for a moment without so much as a chorus to go back to, just a constant stream of thought.
One of the things The Thermals tend to do great with on every outing are the lyrics, which Hutch Harris really gets to the heart of whatever subject he’s writing about. Any emotions outside of rage aren’t really felt in his vocals, but the wordplay is pretty fascinating each and every time. Compared to past Thermals outings, “Personal Life” doesn’t fare so well, and maybe one part of the problem is subject matter. When Harris rants against the government or organized religion, these are universal topics people tend to disagree on. Everybody has an opinion and whether or not you agreed with Harris at the very least he made his points with conviction. By taking on the topic of relationships, that’s less a debate and more a blatant truth. Everybody has been in a failed relationship at least once in their lives, and that’s a private concern between two individuals rather than a group or sect. It’s why the album title is what it is. But in minimizing the conflict it also minimizes the impact. Yes it’s still relatable on a mass spectrum but the experience is different for each person. That plus the calmer, downtempo moments turn “Personal Life” into a bit of a drag at parts. One could argue that these sorts of moments come with the territory of growing up, but if you look at a similar artist like Ted Leo who’s still cranking along with high impact punk rock tracks many years into his career, there’s proof it can be done. If The Thermals are looking for a hot button universal topic to tackle for their next effort, the environment might just be the thing to stir up some of that old fashioned rage Harris used to spit out like water from a faucet. “Personal Life” may be something of a wash, but grab a sponsorship from PETA and save some wildlife next time and things might just turn around for the little punk band from Portland that could.
Happy Friday Eve, where we celebrate like it’s Friday but a day early. I hope you’ve got some fun planned as a result. A lot of the songs in today’s Pick Your Poison are fun, and I’ve got a handful of recommendations for you as usual. Be sure to check out tracks by The 88, Callers, Jesse Payne and One Hundred Flowers. You’ll definitely also want to download new songs from Owen Pallett and Low. Do it to it, the weekend is just a day away.
Jesse Payne – Manhattan Project
Lek Fonq – Inner Rhythm (Trust Mix)
One Hundred Flowers – Rat Trap
Canadian pastoral folk band The Acorn first attracted a lot of attention with their 2007 album “Glory Hope Mountain”, a 12-track concept album that served as a loosely detailed account of the life of Gloria Esperanza Montoya aka singer Rolf Klausener’s mother. You didn’t need to be aware of the concept to enjoy that record, though it was supremely beneficial if you listened to the entire thing in one sitting. After some great reviews and a lengthy tour to support that last album, The Acorn retreated to a forest cottage in a desolate area of Northern Quebec to work on a follow-up. “No Ghost” is the result and it’s finally out in the U.S. this week, a collection of songs that continues in the band’s rich and gorgeous folk/Americana sound though this time without a singular theme to hold it all together.
At their core, The Acorn aren’t doing much new on “No Ghost”, and that’s both compared to their past releases as well as just in general compared to other similar artists. They’re almost a Canadian version of Grizzly Bear, but with a little more breathing room. Grizzly Bear get so carefully constrained with their songs you could fit them in a neat little box, while The Acorn go all expansive and open field more often than not. But the harmonies are often there, though with less emphasis on them and more on the delicate melodies that the acoustic guitars and a handful of other instruments provide. With less of a thematic element to tie everything together this time, the band is able to focus more on individual songs and throw in a little diversity to their highly traditional style. They use electric guitars a bit more among other things, and the energy is higher and lighter than on past efforts. There’s some feedback and a little bit of electronic noise that factors into opening track “Cobbled From Dust”, though if you weren’t paying close attention it’d be easy to miss those things. “Restoration” is a jaunty finger-picked acoustic track with rimshot percussion that’s simply a delight. Electric guitars actually ruin the serene folk of “I Made the Law”, snatching away what started out as something beautiful and turning it into something with classic rock undertones that just doesn’t fit with the rest of the record. “Crossed Wires” might be the closest thing to a normal indie rock song The Acorn have ever written, with a fast bass pushed up to the front of the mix and a piano gliding along barely in the background. There’s just enough of an off-kilter rhythm though that keeps the song from reaching its full catchy potential. Still, it’s got an almost Neutral Milk Hotel-type charm to it that makes for one of the more exciting tracks on the album. The same could be said of “Bobcat Goldwraith” with its very tribal beats and outright enthusiasm. There’s a horn section that slips in every now and then that really pushes things even farther in the right direction. The title track is an interesting piece of scattershot music, kicking off with some rough electric guitar and electronic noise before breaking down into something a little folkier. It’s almost like the band is channeling a louder version of Animal Collective but not quite getting everything just right. In other words, a noble attempt at experimenting that only partly works out. By contrast, the acoustic alt-country balladry of “Slippery When Wet” is a delight and a return to what The Acorn does best. “Almanac” takes things just a little too far in that direction though, fixating on lots of silent moments between the sparse acoustic guitars, drum rimshots and vocal harmonies. As gorgeous as the song is, it still feels a little frozen in place by not moving beyond where it starts.
For fans of bands like Fleet Foxes, Midlake, Grizzly Bear and more than 2 dozen other folk-driven acts around today, The Acorn is another notch for your belt to grab onto. If you’ve not yet heard any music by this band before and like their sort of music, nothing should be holding you back. What will hold some back is knowing that everything The Acorn does sounds familiar, probably because somebody else has done it before. They’re not the most unique or intensely brilliant band around. Instead they take an all-too overused musical genre and continue to breathe life into it. Their songs are often immensely gorgeous and there’s absolutely merit in that, even if the lyrics can be a bit of a hodgepodge mess at times. “No Ghost” is the ideal record for a day of relaxation outdoors with the sun out and nature on display around you. Given that fall has unofficially started now, it’s also great for watching the leaves change color. “Glory Hope Mountain” may continue to be the gold standard of Acorn albums, but at the very least this new one proves that brilliance wasn’t just some flash in the pan. Keep an eye on these guys, they could very well be going places in the next few years.
Pretty great set of songs for today’s Pick Your Poison. The new Blonde Redhead album “Penny Sparkle” is out next week, and you can grab a preview track below. And though the album has been out for awhile, Field Music have just given out another song off of it. You can also get a brand new song from The Tallest Man on Earth, who has a new EP available digitally now. Also worth checking out are songs from Jesse Woods, Low Sea and Royal Baths. Seriously, some excellent stuff. By all means download away.
Blonde Redhead – Not Getting There
Field Music – All You’d Ever Need to Say
Gary Wilson – Electric Endicott
The Horror, The Horror – Time Is A Spinning Wheel
The Horror, The Horror – Black Barn
Low Sea – Falling
Low Sea – Never Yours
You can never go back. No matter how much we might want to hop in a time machine and return to the best moments of our lives, such talk is impossible. Even if it were possible, would we really want to? All too often when we try to relive the best moments of our lives they end up not meeting our expectations. Those glorious memories we have established in our heads are often partly fiction anyways, covering everything in a dream-like haze that releases endorphins in our brains and we register the purest of pleasures. Undoubtedly then, many people have fond memories associated with Interpol’s debut album “Turn on the Bright Lights”. It was one of those revolutionary records from the last decade, instantly grabbing people’s attention upon release and securing itself a place in rock history as one of the ten best albums of the 00s (according to many including myself). That and the band’s sophmore album “Antics” turned Interpol from Joy Division imitators to contemporary and original rock stars of their own. After two similar-sounding records though, the band looked to mix things up a bit for their third album “Our Love to Admire”, which was given a chilly response from critics and fans alike. Interpol signed to major Capitol Records for that 2007 album and with the diversion from their standard sound along with the extreme polish put on the songs, one couldn’t blame fans for feeling as if they’d been betrayed. It’s been 3 years and you’ll be surprised to learn that times have changed. During that period there were solo albums and side projects. Interpol as a band left Capitol Records and returned home to Matador. They announced their fourth album would be self-titled and have been claiming it sounds like their earlier stuff. It was also revealed bassist Carlos Dengler quit the band after the latest recording sessions. Outside of that Carlos D thing though, all indicators are that Interpol are looking for a “return to form” with the new record, which coincidentally is out this week. But as we’ve already established, no matter how hard you try to go back, things are never the same as they were before.
Whether or not Interpol want to acknowledge that going back to 8 years ago is an impossible task, they sure as hell are going to try their hardest to get there. The opening track on “Interpol” is “Success”, but amusingly enough the band doesn’t seem to have that much of it going for them at the very start. The song is good, but compared to the band’s gripping openers in the past, from “Untitled” to “Next Exit” and even “Pioneer to the Falls”, “Success” doesn’t fully succeed. It has the sound and feel of something off “Antics”, but one of the lesser, deeper cuts. “Memory Serves” does well for itself with a memorable hook, but it does plod along just a little bit, lacking the vigor of some of the band’s best singles.”Summer Well” brings up the tempo and adds piano to good effect with yet another solidly captivating chorus. It may not quite reach the levels of “classic” Interpol. but it is a cut above the band’s most recent material. Undoubtedly though, the song “Lights” will make its way onto Interpol’s inevitable greatest hits record. That’s not just because it’s the first single off this self-titled album, but it also happens to be the best song the band has made since “Turn on the Bright Lights”. The slow-burning, 5.5 minute track accumulates tension and noise until it’s almost completely succumbed by it before abruptly ending. Following that with the energized second single of the “Obstacle 1”-esque “Barricade” is not only right but it makes for a 1-2 punch that’s dizzyingly great to listen to. So after a slower start, by a couple tracks in the band really seems to be making good on their promise to take things back to their early days. Then, as if drunk on their own power, they completely fall off the wagon.
That there’s a problem isn’t immediately apparent when “Always Malaise (The Man I Am)” starts off. Drummer Sam Fogarino plays a big role in keeping the song from completely descending into mediocrity while the piano is also a nice touch. The song goes for the careful and tense build-up but fails to gather any real excitement or memorability along the way. For a song like “Safe Without”, things get off to a promising start but then fail to move anywhere. It’s like taking a plane ride, thrilling at the takeoff but once you’re up in the air the plane just circles in a holding pattern because there’s nowhere to land. After that, the final three tracks descend into outright experimentation. “Try It On” implements a clunky and offbeat piano line at the beginning and then blippy synths towards the end to try and get a little more artsy and diverse. It’s perhaps most reminiscent of something singer Paul Banks’ somewhat bland side project Julian Plenti would do, and the result is about the same here. The song then bleeds into the 5 minute “All of the Ways”, a track that’s pure mood and atmosphere while seeming to skip everything else such as a compelling reason to keep listening. For the record though, this is something of a concept album attempting to chronicle the destruction of a relationship. That things get so desperately slow and depressing towards the end is certainly purposeful in keeping the theme going, but it’s at the cost of hooks and melodies that engage the listener. If “All of the Ways” isn’t enough of a death march for you, “The Undoing” closes out this self-titled effort by continuing to hold the the slow motion depression in check, this time adding strings and horns and for no apparent reason a few lyrics in Spanish. The song oozes with desperation as Banks repeats the word “please” a whole bunch of times, practically begging to be put out of his misery. The song fades into oblivion and it feels like sweet relief more than anything else.
What “Interpol” the album ultimately comes off as is a career retrospective for the band. The first half wraps the style and substance of their first two records into a nice neat package that’s very good but not quite as great as the original source material. The second half sees the band indulging their more experimental impulses that were so derided on 2007’s “Our Love to Admire”. Given how people reacted back then, three years later that blemish still hurts just a little bit and this is like reopening old wounds. There’s little to nothing to hold your interest on that second half of the album save for a sustained dark mood and a variance in style from what has previously defined Interpol’s sound. To the extent those things are what you want from the band, well, they’re clearly aiming to please. For everyone else, this is half of a great album and half of a simply okay one. Lightening up just a touch, there’s little to nothing on this record that’s outright bad, just compared to “Turn on the Bright Lights” and “Antics” there aren’t a flurry of highlights (see: singles). Instead there are just a couple of standout moments that serve just well enough to elevate this album above the last one. There will be those arguing that Interpol has always been a band making mood music rather than songs with big choruses and an urgent pace, but the truth is they’ve been responsible for both. For every “PDA” there is a “The New”, the difference now is that those longer, more plodding songs are equipped with less dynamic twists and more static straightaways. It’s admirable that Interpol are continuing to show some ambition and are looking to reach beyond the same old songs they’ve done before, the issue is that they’ve not yet found the sound that’s going to truly take them to the next level. Parts of “Interpol” give you tinkering but it’s really a lot of fumbling around in the dark looking for a lost contact lens. Where the band will choose to go next remains a mystery, but perhaps with bassist Carlos D now out of the picture it will lead to new and exciting sounds from them once again. There’s plenty of doubt to go along with that statement, but if any band can benefit from it, Interpol can.
I hope everyone had a great Labor Day. If you were working as I was, hopefully it was less painful than a normal day. The good news is that now it’s Tuesday and though you have to return to work, there’s plenty of new music to help get you through it. Highlights of today’s Pick Your Poison include a remix of a Nina Simone track. There’s something of a supergroup in the new band OFF!, which has members of Black Flag, Burning Brides and Hot Snakes. There’s a new dance cut from Royksopp. A remix of a Sebastien Tellier song. The bands The Black Twig Pickers and Translations are worth checking out as well. And for some fun, check out the cryptic website of the band Longstay, where you can click through a maze with multiple paths and endings.
The Black Twig Pickers – Don’t Drink Nothing But Corn
Longstay – Old Heads on Young Shoulders
Check out Longstay’s maze of a website
Moondoggies – It’s A Shame, It’s A Pity
Nina Simone – I Put A Spell On You (MiM0SA remix)
Royksopp – Malangen Fra Bruhodet
With the holiday weekend just getting started, everyone’s checking out early to travel out of town or just plain relax for the next few days. I hope you get the chance to spend quality time with family and friends over the next few days. Understandably then, Pick Your Poison is a tiny bit thin today. Another song from ARP gets a double thumbs up from me. You should also have a listen to songs by Oholics and The Super Vacations (the perfect band name for this weekend, right?). Faronheit will be taking Monday off thanks to Labor Day (where we celebrate not working), but things will resume as normal on Tuesday. Have a great extended weekend everybody.
ARP – From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea
The Biters – Melody for Lovers
Lavinia – A Damning Confession
Mackintosh Braun – Could It Be (ZIP)
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