Pitchfork Reviews 4/25/08

Titus Andronicus
The Airing of Grievances
[Troubleman Unlimited; 2008]

Pitchfork gave it an 8.5 and named it the 25th best album of 2008.

One of the thorniest issues in rock is what you're supposed to do when something sounds like something else. The general consensus is that when something sounds like something else that you like more than the thing you're listening to, it's not great, but it's at least a step in the right direction. If something sounds like something else you don't like, it double sucks. If something sounds like nothing else you've ever heard before, you should be careful: it might sound like genius, and enough people will tell you that it is for you to almost agree, but unless it absolutely blows you away at some point, it's probably just annoying. If something sounds like something else but is better than the original thing, that's the best.

That all seems fairly straightforward, but what do you do if something is an amalgam of other stuff? A liberal buffet-style full plate heaping of cops. Frank Black's screamiest vocals, Guided by Voices production, some Arcade Fire/Neutral Milk Hotel/Tossers multi-instrumentalist arrangement theatrics, a little Replacements beer-soaked loser for attitude, Strokes-ish guitar fills. That's Titus Andronicus. They do better than some of the things they reference, worse than other things they reference, some of the audible influences are troubling, others are sorely missing from the rock landscape.

What do you do with such a heaping helping? What you do with it is you eat until you're full and then you stop, and you try not to think about it too much. It might taste bad or good, but either way it's not like you're at some gourmet restaurant (or like you'd know what fork to use if you were, you fucking slob). It's rock. Relax. And to Titus Andronicus's credit, they're not trying to transcend the very basic setup.

The saving grace here is the not giving a fuck attitude copped from The Replacements. Saves the meal, renders moot anything you could say. I bet these guys kick ass live. Check that: I hope these guys are wildly inconsistent live, but the good shows are the fucking best. On record, though, take it or leave it.


Love
Forever Changes (Collector's Edition)
[Elektra / Rhino; 1967/2008]

Pitchfork gave it an 8.6.

I wish I had it in my heart to say "fuck this record" and mean it. Arthur Lee's voice is just so thin and reedy (as in "reeds used to create the bleating treble that comes out of woodwind instruments") and the lyrics alternate between "on the nose without being directly confrontational" and "high school creative-writing imagery." Musically, it veers dangerously close to shitty coffeehouse folk (sometimes--"Old Man"--going all the way) almost too many times to count. You can't really listen to the whole thing all the way through unless it's pretty much the only thing you could possibly listen to at the moment.

But then: it's a knockout at those times. It's a perennial All Star for hungover day-after cleanups. It's nearly fatally mellow, but with just enough grit and groove to energize, dripping with enough angsty doubt and regret to avoid being either a blatant cool-down or psyche-up. It's both soothing and invigorating because correct: everything is all messed up, and also correct: there's not much to be done about it except for "sitting on the hill side watching all the people die." A bum-out album full of "I'm just sayin'"-level critique pieces that sound, with some delicious exceptions, afraid to rock all the way. The feeling that there's a lot going on under the surface permeates the whole album.

Which is great, because the surface is pretty much just a fairly pleasant rock/pop album from 1967. The kind of thing I'd usually want to say "fuck this record" to. Or "their earlier stuff had more teeth" (totally true). But like I said, I don't have it in my heart. It's saved my ass too many times. I have to clean up pretty often.

But look at me, re-describing. If you already have this in your life, you know everything I'm saying, and if you don't, you should. Don't get the fucking "Collector's Edition," though.


Experimental Dental School
Jane Doe Loves Me
[Cochon; 2008]

Pitchfork gave it a 4.8.

Have I already talked about how I think Beck's whole career is based on a joke? Like he was just the first wiseass to rap ironically as a goof, and by dint of having some small amount of talent underneath the joke entree, now he's a bajillionaire. That's why there's no staying power to anything he's ever done. It's a collection of novelty songs. I dare you to listen to all of Odelay and then tell me I'm wrong.

But: right place right time. Beck sprung up in a post-Nirvana 1993-94 where Kurt Cobain had blown his head off and everybody on radio was still imitating his music, trying to sound as earnest as possible in order to cash in, which by that point had a "it's a tribute to his memory that his influence is so far-ranging" momentum of its own even though it was visibly crass. We desperately needed a joker to be the anti-Bush (the band). And when somebody fulfills a need like that, you just have to thank them. So I'll always have a soft spot for Beck even though he's a total put-on and a goof and a Scientologist (hi guys, welcome to 2 Year Lag) to boot.

A thought I just had: what if Sea Change was a joke? That would fucking rule. That'd be like GOOD ONE DUDE. But of course it's not. It's just a joke guy being like "but for real, I can play music too." Which is/was a bummer. Better if he just stayed a joker for life. Still, if deathbed Beck (deathBeck) says "Sea Change was a joke" I will be very happy. As it is: soft spot in my heart, plus I'm always impressed by the way he's always the funniest person on Saturday Night Live whenever he stops by. I don't have to make apologies for Beck. He's genuinely good at goofing.

Oh, these "Experimental Dental School" guys are clearly goofing, and clearly they're terrible at it, and anyway we don't need any more fucking goofs than we've already got at this point, thanks.


Wye Oak
If Children
[Merge / Morphius; 2007/2008]

Pitchfork gave it a 7.1.

How much money do you think The Shins have made? I have literally no idea. Almost no answer below $20 million or above $50,000 would surprise me. $20.000001 million would surprise me. $49,999.99 would surprise me. But only a little. You'd have to say "after expenses, the total is actually something like $15,000" or "more than enough for it to make good financial sense for Wye Oak to sound this much like them" in order to REALLY surprise me.


Ladyhawk
Shots
[Jagjaguwar; 2008]

Pitchfork gave it a 6.2.

Ladyhawk has been sounding like they're from the 90's since before it was cool, which it never was. Not even in an anti-cool way. Still, they're good for a decent overdramatic rocker once or twice an album without being cool even a little bit. That's what the 90's, except for Beck, were all about.