CD Review: Two Tongues

As the collaboration between Max Bemis of Say Anything and his idol-turned-best-friend Chris Conley of Saves the Day, Two Tongues seems like the answered prayer of fans of the last decade’s emotionally charged punk.

The band itself even declared months in advance of the self-titled debut that the album would be a cross between Saves the Day’s “Through Being Cool” and Say Anything’s “Is a Real Boy”— a sampling of each band’s most innovative and raw releases.

But while the collaboration is a fun and welcome one, it doesn’t live up to the hype.

Granted, when album opener “Crawl” explodes amid a pounding, bass-driven beat, it’s clear that Bemis’ rough-edged snarl was meant for Conley’s nasal croon. And the two certainly know better than most how to alternate between dissonance and melody within the confines of a pop song. The fuzzy, angular riffs that fade in between jutted power chord blasts in “If I Could Make You Do Things” exhibit a perfect play between tension and release.

But the duo misses the mark lyrically. Where Bemis once paid tribute to “this dude, each night, same, table who creates and crumples up … eyes wide from sipping endlessly his endless coffee cup,” and Conley dreamt of a missed one’s face in a stranger’s on a train after “the sun had sunk into New Jersey” through the “glass light conduit,” together they now pine for vague, unnamed female counterparts with words that are practically interchangeable between songs.

Maybe the songwriters no longer see lyrics as their selling points. They certainly put time into their music, from the Beatles-tinged melodies in “Don’t You Want to Come Home” to the bouncy lead work in “Silly Game.”

But if you don’t have something compelling to say, why let your tongue loose in the first place?

Rating: 3 stars

Recommended tracks: “Crawl,” “If I Could Make You Do Things”

Originally published in the Austin American-Statesman.

CD Review: Andrew Bird’s “Noble Beast”

What you get from “Noble Beast,” Andrew Bird’s fourth solo album since breaking with the Bowl of Fire, is what you’ve probably come to expect from the experimental pop song writing violinist: whirling whistles, swirling strings and a healthy helping of vibrato in every honey sweet harmony.

Rather than making his repertoire seem redundant, the reappearance of Bird’s signature touches makes “Noble Beast” a welcome addition to his already cohesive catalogue, right down to the lyrics. The first few lines of album opener “Oh No” continue Bird’s knack for making the scientific seem poetic with mentions of calcified arithmetists and sociopaths, while the title of the second track, “Masterswarm,” seems to be a callback to the peaceful “Masterfade” from 2005’s “Mysterious Production of Eggs.”

Still, the album manages to pack a few surprise punches. “Not a Robot, But a Ghost,” starts with what sounds like percussion you’d find in your kitchen and quickly turns into a haunting, electronica-tinged rocker. The jazz-fusion breakdown in “Anonanimal,” on the other hand, makes for an unexpected mid-song shift.

But the most moving moment comes from “Souverian,” which begins with a bubbly piano line and transforms into a swelling ballad that closes the album with a sentiment that’s hard to shake when the music fades—“Birds will sing/Still my lover won’t return to me/They promise spring/Still my lover won’t return to me.”

Rating: 3 stars

Recommended tracks: “Oh No,” “Not a Robot, But a Ghost,” “Souverian”

Originally published on the Austin American-Statesman’s Austin360.

Music Review: Ben Folds’ “Way to Normal”

When Ben Folds leaked “fake” versions of songs from “Way to Normal” that he and his band wrote and recorded within the space of eight hours at a studio in Dublin last summer, the natural assumption was that the actual “Way to Normal” tracks would surpass their surprisingly decent joke counterparts.

But many of the songs on “Way to Normal” improve little on the craftsmanship or lyricism of the fake tracks, so the album just feels lazy. The fake version of “(Expletive) Went Nuts,” for example, tells the story of a guy whose liberal girlfriend takes too many drugs and begins ranting at a corporate Christmas party. The real version tells the similar story of a girlfriend who lashes out inappropriately after getting dumped.

Still, the album has its high points. “You Don’t Know Me,” a jazzy duet with Regina Spektor, features bright horn and string sections beneath irresistible harmonies lined with simple but poignant lyrics about the fleeting nature of relationships. “Brainwascht,” on the other hand, sees Folds’ quirky humor at its best, as he challenges a fellow songwriter to a dance-off in response to a mean-spirited pop song jab. Other songs, like “Dr. Yang,” harken back to the raw energy of Folds’ earliest days with the Five.

But whether the songs on “Way to Normal” hit or miss, the refreshing thing about Folds is his humility.

“If this record is great, it is a testament to the quality of the people in my life,” Folds writes in the album’s liner notes. “I will however take responsibility for any possible overlooked moments of less-than-greatness that may exist on this album.”

Recommended: “You Don’t Know Me,” “Brainwascht”

Rating:  3 stars

Originally published in the Austin American-Statesman 13 October 2008.

Music Review: The Anniversary’s “Devil on Our Side”

In their short career, The Anniversary gained a cult following by transforming their music from emotive punk to quirky synth-pop to psychedelic folk rock.  Then, while working on their third studio album, they called it quits and never released the demos of their new recordings.  Nearly six years later comes “Devil on Our Side,” a collection of B-sides, rarities and unreleased demos that draws on hip-hop, funk and folk influences.  Some of the older tracks are too rough for comfort, but trippy songs like “I Know What’s Best” and the tribal-sounding “Kali” show just how eclectic the band was becoming, and give fans one more reason to miss them.

Music Review: Pinback’s “Autumn of the Seraphs”

Pinback sheds a few layers of sound but doesn’t sacrifice any tightness on the follow up to 2004′s “Summer in Abaddon,” “Autumn of the Seraphs.”  The songs still play like clockwork, as the band hits every note in perfect time.

With the exception of the hard-driving opener “From Nothing to Nowhere,” Pinback stays true to the formula that has brought them success on past albums — clean guitars, technical beats, rhythmic singing, and a touch of electronica.

Usually when a band changes so little, I grow weary of their sound.  But I guess the finely tuned machine that is Pinback isn’t broke, so why fix it?

Music Review: Peter and the Wolf’s “The Ivori Palms”

Originally published in the 21 November 2007 edition of the Hilltop Views.

Austinite-turned-nomad Red Hunter, the man behind the folk project Peter and the Wolf, is one of our city’s more subversive musicians. Besides his extensive repertoire of intimate lo-fi recordings in an age of digitally manipulated music, Hunter is notorious for performing in the oddest of makeshift venues — graveyards, trains, and once an island only accessible by canoe.

The latest Peter and the Wolf release, “The Ivori Palms,” is a folk gem straight out of a dream. While living and recording in a condemned warehouse in Canada during the summer of this year, Hunter fell asleep amid plaguing doubts about his musical ambitions and living arrangements.  He shared these anxieties with his hero, the late journalist Dan Eldon, in a dream.

“You’re not living in a condemned warehouse,” Eldon assured him.  “This is the Ivori Palms.”  Just then, a neon motel sign bearing the same name lit up outside the window of the warehouse.  When Hunter awoke, he had the name for his new album.

The music is as impressive as its story.  Hunter’s rumbly baritone vocals swim atop sparse finger-picked acoustic arrangements, conveying a traveler’s tale of nature’s beauty. “You don’t have to say a word/Every traveler knows/Like the wise migrating bird/We go where summer goes,” he sings on the album opener “Where Summer Goes.”

But the most stunning aspect of “The Ivori Palms” is the soulful backing vocals.  Both the haunting “Ghost Sandals” and the nostalgic “Southern Moon” feature choirs of layered harmonies so rich that they could almost pass for a capella arrangements, save a few softly strummed guitar chords.  The former finds Hunter whistling eerily between a ghost story in verse, and in the latter he dreams of summer nights filled with close friends. “Warm wind blowing cutoffs and sandals/Long nights drinking with the boys/Not much to do for the rest of the evening/These are the things we enjoy,” he sings.

Virtually the only misstep of the 14-track album is the piercing “Bike of Jonas.”  In it, Hunter pounds on steel drums while rhythmically singing in a muffled tone, giving the song a jarring tribal sound that will leave your ears ringing.

But with the rest of the album filled with moving minimalist tunes, “The Ivori Palms” is a promising addition to Peter and the Wolf’s growing catalog of innovative folk.

Growing tired of all the Christmas cheer?

One of our most beloved holidays has been hijacked by money-hungry corporations, and they’re exploiting its most memorable melodies for financial gain.  We shop Macy’s amidst dreams of a “White Christmas.” “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer” assures us that Pennzoil ensures premium automobile performance. And you can bet that “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” with a Coca-Cola in hand.

By mid-December, the blatant commercialization of it all is too much to handle, and tolerating – much less enjoying – Christmas music through the New Year is inconceivable.

So in the holiday spirit of generosity and the practical interest of preserving sanity, here are 5 albums that aren’t holiday themed but complement the winter season perfectly.

Matt Pond PA – “The Green Fury”

The Brooklyn-based indie pop outfit Matt Pond PA has yet to change its name despite moving from Philadelphia, and 2002’s “The Green Fury” is less of a portrait of the vibrant greens of spring than it is a stroll through the sparkling whites of winter.  But odd nomenclature aside, from the fluid reverse tracking on opener “Canadians” to the rhythmic shuffling on closer “Copper Mine,” this album plays like snowflakes dancing upon a sparsely wooded plain.  Gentle acoustic arrangements are accompanied by eclectic instrumentation, including lush strings and fluttering percussion.  And frontman Matt Pond’s vocals often mirror those of indie icon James Mercer, likening the band’s performance to an orchestral version of the Shins in a winter wonderland.  But even if the seasonal sound doesn’t sell you, the consistent imagery of snow, ice and winter play surely will.

Sufjan Stevens – “Illinois”

Stevens is well-versed in holiday music, as is evidenced by his ambitious 5-year endeavor that culminated in 2006’s “Songs for Christmas,” a 5-disc collection of Christmas themed originals alongside his interpretations of traditional carols and hymns.  But when you arrive at your holiday music breaking point, 2005’s rock and jazz infused folk release “Illinois,” an exploration of spirituality and love through the history and folklore of the state, will deliver the season without overselling its holiday.  “Concerning the UFO Sighting…” opens the album with somber, reverberating piano chords that drift beneath starry imagery and into the still blackness of a frigid winter night.  Other tracks such as “Come On!  Feel the Illinoise!” feature piano riffs reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack for “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” while “The Predatory Wasp…” floats around choir arrangements fit for any Christmas Eve candlelight service.  The rejoicing voices proclaim, “Oh great sights upon this state/Wonders bright and rivers, lake/Trail of Tears and Horseshoe lake/Trusting things beyond mistake/Hallelujah!”

John Coltrane – “Dear Old Stockholm”

For the sophisticated who prefer syncopated rhythms and whimsical variations on melody, there is “Dear Old Stockholm.”  Recorded in 1963 and 1965, this 5 track collection features John Coltrane Quartet sessions that range from feverishly energetic to peacefully resolved.  The title track is a jazzy take on a Swedish folk song set to a swinging rhythm perfect for a chilly night under city lights.  Coltrane’s sax lines weave seamlessly through the first half of the number, while pianist Elvin McCoy’s staccato chords and improvisations glide gracefully through the second.  But “After the Rain” is easily the album’s highlight.  Cymbals gently simmer beneath mournful sax lines, while rolling piano chords guide the piece back and forth between hardly restrained tension and barely liberated movement.  A dreamlike number that rests just between lucidity and a sleepy haze, it’s best experienced with a glass of fine wine.

Peter and the Wolf – “Lightness”

From the coffee colored cover art to the intimately homemade recordings and rich baritone vocals, “Lightness” by Austinite Peter and the Wolf (aka Red Hunter) is the perfect soundtrack for chilly days and nights by the fire.  It’s an exercise in pure, minimal folk.  Rarely will you hear anything more than a single vocal track, finger-picked acoustic guitar lines and the occasional egg shaker, but the music will captivate you from start to finish.  Hunter’s vocals rumble with richness and the words behind them are warm and soothing like a steaming sip of spicy apple cider.  “Did you ever hear the owl of the sea/Singing in a black pine tree/When all the world’s asleep/About a bird he used to know?” he sings on “The Owl.”  On this track and others, soft female vocal harmonies also add a hauntingly entrancing quality to the music.

Music Review: The Weakerthans’ “Reunion Tour”

Originally published in the 3 October 2007 edition of The Hilltop Views.

Grade:  C+

With “Reunion Tour” the folk-rocking Weakerthans step up to a daunting task:  That of following up 2003’s “Reconstruction Site.”

Though elegant, there was nothing musically groundbreaking about the previous Weakerthans release.  In fact, its genius was its simplicity combined with frontman John K. Samson’s introspective, clever, and vivid lyrics.

The Weakerthans follow the same formula fairly successfully on “Reunion Tour,” even going as far as to continue the story of crowd-pleaser Virtute the Cat, but somehow the result doesn’t feel quite as complete.

One thing Samson fails to consistently achieve on “Reunion Tour” is the creation of storylines that are significant to both him and the listener.  On past albums, the plights lamented were easily relatable:  There was the driver stalled in the turning lane with looming thoughts of outrageous gas prices.  And who could forget the worker leaving the apartment to buy alcohol after pulling an ungodly double of 10-6 and 9-5?

But the subject matter here does not always achieve the same universal quality.  Though “Hymn of the Medical Oddity” melds melody brilliantly with swaying guitar and synth lines, Samson’s main point in singing is to make doctors remember him as “More than a queer experiment/More than a diagram in their quarterly.”

Interesting?  Perhaps.  It’s obviously a source of angst for Samson, but it’s not something most people hear and think, “God knows I’ve been there.”

The album is still of artful and clever lyrical successes, however, and Samson has by no means lost his poetic wit.  In “Relative Surplus Value” he recounts humorously frustrating experiences at an airport before finally revealing after two and a half minutes that the entire song is a phone call to someone from his past.  He sheepishly sings, “So what I’m trying to say/I mean what I’m asking you/I know we haven’t talked in a while/But could you come get me?”

The album highlights are the back-to-back and beautifully complementary tracks “Sun in an Empty Room” and “Night Windows,” both named after works by 20th century painter Edward Hopper.  The former, which captures perfectly the vaguely nostalgic and oddly disorienting feel of moving out of an apartment, features bursts of bright riffs over driving beats.  The latter drifts dreamily through city streets at night with an old friend amidst minimal guitar lines and percussion.

As a whole, the album isn’t as memorable as previous Weakerthans releases, but it still manages to give the listener a few glimpses of the band at its finest.  And for those shining moments, “Reunion Tour” is worth the buy.

Music Review: Saves the Day’s “Under the Boards”

Originally published in the Austin American-Statesman.

Saves the Day is back with their sixth full-length album, “Under the Boards,” the second album in a three part story about self-discovery.

Frontman Chris Conley described the first part, 2005’s “Sound the Alarm,” as an expression of discontent – a theme unmistakably conveyed by the music.  The guitars ripped through racing rhythms and Conley incorporated a menacing scowl into his vocal style.

But this installment, though self-described as an exercise in reflection and remorse, has pleasantly surprising chipper moments. “Bye Bye Baby” and the piano-driven “Lonely Nights” contain melodies so sugary that it’s hard to remember they’re tales of loss and leaving.

The highlight of the album is “Stay” – a full and rich acoustic tune in the vein of the band’s early acoustic work.  In it, Conley contrasts relationship expectations with harsh realities as he takes a peaceful stroll before dawn.  “I thought you’d save me from myself with love/But alone is how I stay from the womb to the grave,” he cries.

But the remorseful tunes are not always as gracefully articulate.  On “Getaway” in particular Conley expresses similar grief but in a painfully cliché manner:  “The pain won’t let me get away.”

The final installment in this story of self-discovery, “Daybreak,” will explore acceptance.  And if “Under the Boards” is any indication of the music to come, it will be a solid release.

Music Review: Say Anything’s “In Defense of the Genre”

Originally published 4 November 2007 in the Austin American-Statesman.

Grade:  C

The frontman of Say Anything, 23-year old punk rock prodigy Max Bemis, has committed every possible music business blunder. His debut album, 2004′s masterpiece ” … Is a Real Boy,” contained scathing criticisms of his elitist fanbase; his heavy substance abuse caused him to break down in a fit of paranoid schizophrenia; and his resulting hospitalization forced him to cancel career-breaking tours.

But rather than destroy Say Anything’s career, these setbacks only served to surround the band in a frenzy of hype and the band’s fanbase increased exponentially.

So naturally, Say Anything’s second release, “In Defense of the Genre,” has been highly anticipated. And in some ways, the record delivers. It spans 27 songs over two discs and features almost as many guest appearances from the likes of Saves the Day and Rainer Maria, among others.

But the album’s length might also be its downfall. With so many tracks, the punch of the strong songs gets diluted beneath the weaker ones and the cohesiveness of ” … Is a Real Boy” goes missing.

Case in point, “We Killed It” features the frantic tempos and sporadic rhythm changes that make Say Anything tunes so delicious. “Saw the ocean envelop the sky/Blot out the sun on the day that we died,” Bemis bellows over a pounding beat.

But when such an epic number is followed by bland drinking ballads like “Have at Thee!” and “The Hangover Song,” it’s hard to take the well-crafted compositions seriously.

Say Anything’s “In Defense of the Genre” is a commendable sophomore effort, but the band would have been better off releasing one solid disc instead of two mediocre ones.

Recommended tracks: ‘We Killed It,’ ‘Vexed’