CD review - Boston Spaceships, Let It Beard (2011)

Remarkably cohesive double album encompasses classic psychedelia, prog rock, and trademark GBV sounds

If Robert Pollard sleeps, he must take catnaps between takes in the studio. This year, Pollard has already released Lord of the Birdcage as a solo album (review here), The New Theory of Everything (with Mars Classroom), Waving at the Astronauts (with LifeGuards), and Space City Kicks (another solo album). Now, he's releasing a double album with Boston Spaceships, Let It Beard.

Prolific as he is, Pollard continues to surprise his audience with interesting, engaging songs. I can't imagine another artist who can release so much material on a regular basis and still seem relevant. Some of the 26 tracks on Let It Beard are short enough to feel like teases, like Juggernaut vs. Monolith, Toppings Take the Cake, or Pincusion. But each of these brief songs (the longest is 1:15) are full songs filled with driving, garage rock energy that compares well to the longer tracks on the album.

The first three tracks give a taste of the rest of the album. Blind 20-20 starts with a Robert Fripp/King Crimson, old school progressive rock sound. The song hits a wall and drops into a loose interlude, then falls into a Robyn Hitchcock tinged psychedelic folk. Juggernaut vs. Monolith, mentioned above, covers the lo-fi, punky garage rock angle for the the album. Then Tourist UFO hits the classic Guided By Voices sound.

Let It Beard delivers on these samples with many great songs and a remarkably cohesive sound. Much of the credit for the flow of the album lies with band member Chris Slusarenko, who started the project with 40 of Pollards acoustic demos. He and Pollard settled on the songs to keep and Slusarenko worked them out and effectively managed production for the album. Drummer John Moen rounds out the group and many guests, like Colin Newman, J Mascis, and Mitch Mitchell, added their imprints to the album.

With so many gems, it's hard to pick a few to talk about, but three stood out for me. The title track is a little mini-epic. It starts out like a classic rocker, warm with distorted guitar and a simple vocal repetition that kicks into a a sound like Robyn Hitchcock playing Rolling Stones' covers. It slides into a Bowie style groove for a while. A guitar steps out to make its assertion, which drives the song into a throbbing Who style rocker, with shades of Long Live Rock and Baba O'Riley. It's a wonderful and unselfconscious journey.

I also loved the driving sound of You Just Can't Tell. The verse vocals are like Brian Eno's Third Uncle, with a steady, staccato run of syllables. The tension builds relentlessly as more details are layered into place. The uneasy ending leaves things at loose ends, but fits perfectly into the chiming pop sound of the following track, Chevy Marigold.

Rounding out my favorites is Tabby and Lucy, which wraps up a Mott the Hoople verse with a classic GBV chorus. The result is some of the finest outsider pop ever made. Low level feedback, shimmery tones, and other sonic textures turn the simple pop structure into something more meaningful. In an ideal world, all pop would be this engaging. "Something to know, something to say, something to take my blues away."

The sprawling extent calls for something unusual, but session strength. I once brewed a refreshing ginger cherry beer that would be perfect to accompany Let It Beard.

Check out Pollard's teaser trailer for the album on YouTube.

CD review - Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud (2011)

Psychedelic soul cuts loose for Portugal. The Man's major label release

It's always a concern when a beloved fringe band makes its deal with the Devil and signs on with a major label. Fans were worried when Portugal. The Man partnered with Atlantic, but from the opening seconds of So American, my doubts evaporated. The production throughout In the Mountain, In the Cloud reflects a studio budget, while the writing and song selection are clearly under the band's control, which is the ideal. The album still doesn't resolve the conflict between PTB's live shows and recorded work, though, because the songs miss out on the free form arrangements that the band delivers on stage.

In the Mountain, In the Cloud mixes old and new sounds. PTB continues to explore some of David Bowie's sound, but this album is more focused on Young Americans, extending Bowie's homage to American soul into psychedelia. They add a Supertramp flavor to the sound that seems new to me. These retro elements are there, but there's just as much Flaming Lips or My Morning Jacket, reflecting similar decisions that the modern bands make in mining these sounds.

The opening and closing tracks each polish a jam aesthetic into pop perfection. So American is tightly written; the lyrics aren't predictable, yet they seem inevitable:

He may not be born of this land
But he was born of this world
He was born of all the mothers
And the colors of our brothers
And the love that was started
You, by the one they call Jesus Christ
Who may not know no rock and roll
And there may not be a heaven
Or a place to which to send you
But you know in the end, there is a madness in us all...
So, who broke the rules?

The vocal flow is effortless. The song is layered with detail, the string backing in particular adds a nuanced touch. The song is incredibly efficient, yet maintains a looser Flaming Lips trippiness.

Sleep Forever is similarly balanced. The melodic elements are stated up front in a slightly Hendrixy run though and the song builds on this feel. Supertramp's Breakfast in America feels like an influence, but the cello backing is all Beatles. The solo opens up a jam where the string accompaniment is almost as strong as the guitar lines.

Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now), is another track that travels over the Flaming Lips' trails. The Beatlesque feel is rooted in a George Harrison style guitar riff and the beautiful string arrangement. It sets up a repetitious, psychedelic soul vibe.The opening line, "This can't be living now. If so, then show me how", sets the hook with a lyric that remains long after the song is over. "We've got it all, 'til the revolution comes" sounds defeatist, yet John Gourley's falsetto is almost joyous at the prospect.

It would be great if In the Mountain, In the Cloud could capture more of the band's live jam exploration, with less structured songs. But many bands never bridge that gap between their albums and their live sound. Portugal. The Man recognizes the strength of each milieu. The album creates an unselfconscious, pop feel, while their live arrangements are more improvisational.

CD review - Thurston Moore, Demolished Thoughts (2011)

Sonic Youth frontman continues acoustic exploration, finding exotic sounds

Sonic Youth has a distinctive approach to their noise driven sound. With alternate tunings and prepared instruments, they seem obsessed with odd instrumental harmonies and pulling new sounds from the chaotic edge of dissonance. Key founder, Thurston Moore is central to that exploration and much of his work outside of Sonic Youth has pushed the borders of experimental noise rock.

Moore's last solo album, Trees Outside the Academy, broke the pattern to wander into more acoustic realms, especially on songs like Silver Blue. Demolished Thoughts continues that trajectory into a softer sound, based on acoustic guitar accompanied by strings, harp, bass, and the occasional horns. The guitar parts still connect to Sonic Youth, expanding on some of the guitar from the opening section of Massage the History (The Eternal, review here), for example.

The songs on Demolished Thoughts feel thoughtful, but sometimes unsettled. The introspective mood is prone to drift into slightly darker spaces, not so much threatening, but shadowed and probing.

Most of the songs rely solely on percussive guitar or bass, leaving out the drums completely (Benediction is the exception). This organic, flowing sound sets up some intricate interplay between Moore's guitar and the backing instruments. Musically. Moore offers a twist on the acoustic jam vibe of bands like It's a Beautiful Day or some of Hot Tuna's work.

Blood Never Lies shows off that musical cooperation, featuring a chiming guitar paired with a violin line. The counterpoint harp fills and subtly buried bass combine with a sense of inevitability to mesh into an edgeless whole. Moore's guitar has a touch of John Fahey, whose acoustic polish is quite distant from Sonic Youth's normal fare. Moore's relaxed, breathy vocals add a dreamy veneer. The mood is soft and reflective with brief intimations of shadow.

Circulation is a closer relative to Thurston Moore's normal sound. The driving beat, accusatory tone, and dark, obscure lyrics all shape the sound of an acoustically arranged Sonic Youth song.

The perfect lights are backwards
Reflected cries
Needle hits black lacquer
Speakers forgive lies
I'm not running away
Circulation makes her crazy
She's my "here-to-stay"
She just came by to shoot you, baby

The percussive strumming covers the drum part. The guitar's alternate tuning sounds like sometime off a Velvet Underground song, but the cool harmonic structure builds a mountain of subtle tension. Soothing violin and spooky echoed harp contrast to create a moody complexity.

Each song sets its own stage, from the staccato, angular melody and hypnotic scales of Mina Loy to the whimsical lyrics filling out the reverie of Space. Demolished Thoughts serves as wonderful example of Thurston Moore's versatility. Tonally distant from Sonic Youth, his voice and aesthetic sense remain intriguing.

July Singles

July Singles

Time again for the monthly singles post. Here are a few things that blipped my radar this month, starting with one of my Seattle faves, Macklemore.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Wings

Photo credit: Greg Nissen

Macklemore is one of my favorite performers because his front and attitude balance perfectly with his earnest delivery. This makes him very entertaining, but his material is always solid. Search my blog for album and show reviews.

In recent years, the rapper has teamed up with producer/DJ Ryan Lewis. Lewis has been integral to polishing Macklemore's sound by creating musical accompaniments that extend the songs. His pacing on Wings is great. The simple, soulful piano sets up Macklemore's open delivery. Then the music builds tension as the vocals pick up intensity. Later, Lewis' strings evoke the emotions without getting schmaltzy.

The theme is a familiar one for Macklemore: a heartfelt connection to his something of his youth and his ambivalence between how the kid sees that thing and his grownup response. In this case, it's the Air Jordans that fueled his dreams and the baggage around them:

Look at me, look at me, I'm a cool kid
I'm an individual, yeah, but I'm part of a movement
A movement to only be a consumer, and I consumed it
They told me to just do it, I listened to what that Swoosh said

The lyrical flow shifts tempo and ranges from sentimental to indignant. Regardless of whether he connects with your youth, Wings sets you up for a big shot of empathy.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name) (Lenses Alien, due out August 30)

On 2009's Why There Are Mountains, Cymbals Eat Guitars proved adept at merging Pavement style rock with Wilco style experimental production (review here). Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name) continues to deliver on this idea, setting up a medley effect.

The long track (eight and a half minutes) bounces through several modes but maintains coherence. The first section ties some angular Pavement guitar lines to a poppier indie rock groove. This transitions into a drifting interlude on a sea of chaos. Somewhere along the line, the chaotic noise engulfs the track, somewhere between psychedelia and experimentalism. Rifle Eyesight recovers with some jangled guitar lines to take us back to the indie rock roots. The song ends in a modern psychedelic haze.

Despite the length, Rifle Eyesight stays engaging and interesting. If this is representative, Lenses Alien should be an epic listen.

Veronica Falls - Come On Over (Veronica Falls, due out October 17)

With layers of low-fi simplicity, Veronica Falls creates a wall of sound like Phil Spector producing the Velvet Underground. Their shoegaze friendly song moves from comfortable to cheerfully excited, like spending a lazy afternoon with a lover and then getting a wild hair: adventure's afoot.

Come On Over is anchored in repetition, but the lack of lyrical depth creates an emotional conduit and evokes a happily reminiscent feel. All with a toe tapping beat. It works for me. Even after it's over, the mood and melody linger.

Veronica Falls has more tricks in their bag. Earlier singles Found Love In a Graveyard and Beachy Head offer their own flavors of shoegazy garage, hinting at darker brooding and surf sensibility. October's not too long to wait to see what else Veronica Falls has to offer.