The first track, "Lock And Key," is mellow and sad... really sad. Long, despondent. This band seems to just write long songs. It's minimal and tear-jerking, this first tune... but then it's followed by "Photograph," which does a complete 180 and has this vaguely-Robert-Smith tinged vibe with a frenetic beat and really touching but super-simple piano line. It's just a mini-scale really, but it sounds great over top of that quick drum and cymbal. I really like this tune. So what if I carry your photo around with me everywhere I go / it's not such a bad thing to do / and so I've tried to do what you've told me to do / I've tried to forget about you, oh I've tried. This tune just gets more and more epic as it goes on - it's gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Up next, a country tune. In the first few tracks they've demonstrated an enourmous range. This is a really great album. It's largely pretty sombre, dramatic music... there seems to be a love in here but it's being strangled. Clinging... gasping... it's painful. I acted like a guy who needs your body to sing about beauty... let's get drunk and forget ourselves... The piano really adds a ton of character to this album - from jivey moments to heartbreaking pings. Really cool and classy. "It's So Sexy" gets a bit scandalous, right in the midst of the disc. Wow I really love this album. "It's So Sexy" is about taking a weird joy in others' pain. And there's a bit of similarity vocally to Canada's own absurd wunderkind, Hawksley Workman on "Last Song". This is definitely a disc worthy of many spins, and hopefully it will catch on outside of Nebraska! Elsewhereeagle*seagull websitePublished : November, 2005. |
